APC rejects Saraki, Dogara’s victory

Saraki(L) and Dogara(R)

The All Progressives Congress on Tuesday kicked against the emergence of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.

Saraki, a former Kwara State governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, emerged unopposed shortly after the Clerk of the National Assembly, Salisu Maikasuwa, proclaimed the eighth Senate into existence.

Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party trounced Ali Ndume of the ruling party to become Saraki’s deputy.

Dogara   defeated the   former Minority Leader of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, in a keenly contested poll.

The APC had last Saturday conducted   mock elections in which Ahmed Lawan emerged as its sole candidate for the Senate Presidency. George Akume was to run as his deputy.

While Gbajabiamila emerged victorious in the mock poll for the House, Mohammed Mungono was to run as the deputy speaker.

After the Saturday exercise, the APC leadership directed all its lawmakers interested in the positions to toe the party’s line.

But Saraki, Dogara and Ali Ndume, with the backing of their supporters, defied the directive by vying for the posts on Tuesday.

But the victory of two men was described as unacceptable by the APC. It said in a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, that the actions of the new National Assembly leaders and their supporters amounted to treachery and disloyalty.

According to the APC, the inauguration and the process which led to the emergence of Saraki and Dogara represented the highest level of indiscipline.

The party therefore threatened to sanction the two men and their supporters in order to clearly show its determination “to enforce party discipline and supremacy.”

...Punch