Speaker flouts APC's directive again

chika ebuzor

July 17, 2015 4:42 AM

We feel strongly, that the issue of federal character in the election or appointment of principal officers of the House is a cardinal legal, moral and constitutional principle that should be respected by our party.

Contrary to directive of the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, the House of Representatives' Speaker,Yakubu Dogara has decided to change the zoning formular for principal officers in the house.

Read Reps leadership battle continues as Dogara supporters reject lawmaker

He chose to zone the Majority Leader of the House to the North-West geo-political zone, saying that he feels the six geo political zones should each have a principal officer.

This move is directly against the agreed zoning formular of the APC, which directed that the position of the Majority Leader be zoned to the South-West.

In an official letter to the APC chairman, Dogara said

“Since then, efforts have been made by the party, progressive governors and other interested persons to intervene and resolve the issues.We want to place on record, our unflinching loyalty and respect not only to you as an individual, considering your antecedents, but also to the party, APC, under whose platform we were elected to the House. We have no intention whatsoever of disobeying your directives or the party’s position on any matter. We would, of course, prefer a situation where we are consulted on matters concerning the House before directives are issued and made public.”

Read President reportedly avoids meeting Saraki

Adding that “We feel strongly, that the issue of federal character in the election or appointment of principal officers of the House is a cardinal legal, moral and constitutional principle that should be respected by our party. It is however obvious from the letter under reference that this principle was not taken into consideration. If the letter is enforced the way it was conveyed, it will lead to the following unjust result, Speaker, North East; Chief Whip, North East; Deputy Speaker, South West; House Leader, South West; Deputy House Leader, North West; and Deputy Chief Whip, South South. This will totally and unfairly exclude the South East and North Central Zones in the distribution of these political offices and lead to undue concentration of some offices in the South West and North East Zones of Nigeria.”

Read Why petroleum subsidy can't be removed now, Reps Speaker explains

Other changes include:

Deputy House Leader, zoned to the North-Central.

Majority Leader of the House, zoned to the North-West.

Chief Whip, zoned to the South-South.

Deputy Whip, zoned to the South-East.

The south-west already has the Deputy speaker.

Watch this video of Dogara's thanksgiving.

chika ebuzor