Lawmakers elected into the House of Representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have denied media reports that they had declared support for a speakership aspirant, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Reps PDP deny endorsing Gbajabiamila for Speaker
PDP Rep members say they have not declared their support for Gbajabiamila or any APC speakership aspirant.
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Gbajabiamila is the preferred candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the speakership election scheduled for June 11, 2019.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, June 5, 2019, the PDP Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, blamed propagandists and mischief makers for "twisting " it's goodwill Sallah message for an endorsement for Gbajabiamila.
Ogor emphasized that while the caucus has directed its members to participate in meetings and strategy sessions of the APC Speakership aspirants, they have not directed them to consider voting for any of the aspirants.
He maintained that the PDP House caucus remains united, with decisive plans for strengthening democratic growth while patriotically exerting influence on the Speakership election process.
He stated that the PDP’s national leadership and members of the PDP caucus will consider the national interest and take a collective decision on whom to vote for on June 11, 2019, when the House is scheduled to be inaugurated.
“In the Eid el Fitri message issued on Tuesday, we felicitated with all our Muslim brothers and sisters across Nigeria, we emphasized the significance of worthy virtues and also stated that our members may participate in meetings, strategy sessions and other activities of Speakership aspirants so as to come back to the caucus with convincing assessments," Ogor said.
“Contrary to what has been sensationally reported by some media, at no time did we give our members a directive to vote for any APC speakership aspirant; I hereby categorically dissociate myself and the PDP House Caucus from the false comments being attributed to us as participation in meetings should not be deliberately misinterpreted as a directive on voting,” he stated.
According to Ogor, the PDP House Caucus has remain solidly united, even as it continues to grant audience to various Speakership aspirants.
“Of the three arms of government, the legislature is the first when it comes to the ethos and praxis of democracy; hence, our willingness to further facilitate democratic values and legislative camaraderie - values that are lacking in the ruling party - up till that day when our great party, the PDP, will take a decision.
“Indeed, on May 22 and again, on June 4, all the House Speakership aspirants of note came one after another, to meet and discuss their plans with the leadership of the PDP House Caucus.
“While we have taken the decision to enable all individual members to interact and exchange perspectives, the PDP House Caucus shall - with the input and advice of our party’s national leadership – take a final decision soon, in the interest of Nigeria and we will communicate our formal position to the public.
“Our unflinching commitment to the principles and ethos of democracy, our keenness for dialogue and our willingness to make sacrifice for the national interest should not be unduly exaggerated as a tacit endorsement or assurance of vote for any candidate of the ruling party,” he added.
While Abdurazak Namdas has dropped his ambition to be Speaker of the ninth House of Representatives, Umaru Mohammed Bago, of the APC, is yet to do same for Gbajabiamila, the preferred candidate of the ruling party.
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