Mr. Yakubu Dogara, on Sunday said
that a court process instituted by 30 All Progressives
Congress members stopped him from acting on a
letter from the party’s leadership, nominating four
principal officers for the lower chambers of the
National Assembly.
He also said that reliance on conventional wisdom
alone would not solve the nation’s problems, noting
that the country would likely achieve limited success
without prayers.
Dogara specifically urged Nigerians to pray for the
success of President Muhammadu Buhari and other
persons in leadership positions in the country.
A statement issued in Abuja by his Special Adviser on
Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Turaki Hassan, quoted
the Speaker as making the calls during a church
service held at the Living Faith Church, Durumi, in the
Federal Capital Territory.
In his very first reaction to the results of the election
in which he defeated former Minority Leader, Mr.
Femi Gbajabiamila, by eight votes, he admitted that it
was a “miracle” that he won.
He had said that looking at the formidable forces
against him before the election, it came as a surprise
to him that he emerged victorious.
Dogara had polled 182 votes to defeat Gbajabiamila,
who scored 174.
At a separate meeting with former members of the
House, Dogara said he assumed full responsibility for
the fracas which broke out on the floor of the House
of Representatives on Thursday last week.
However, he explained that a court process instituted
by 30 APC members stopped him from acting on a
letter from the party’s leadership, nominating four
principal officers.
Enraged APC lawmakers punched one another,
tearing clothes and throwing chairs as they fought
over the sharing of principal offices in the House.
The leadership of the APC had written Dogara and
recommended names to him to announce as
Majority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila; Deputy
Leader, Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa; Chief Whip, Mr.
Mohammed Monguno; and Deputy Whip, Mr. Pally
Iriase.
But addressing the former lawmakers, Dogara said
he could not toe the party’s line because the names
did not reflect geographical balancing among the six
zones in the country.
He also told the former members that some
aggrieved members from the North-Central geo-
political zone had already filed a litigation in court on
the grounds that the appointments did not reflect the
principle of Federal Character enshrined in the 1999
Constitution (as amended).
Dogara added, “Assuming they win the case and the
court now rules that that directive of the party
breaches the provision of the constitution relating to
the federal character.
“So, do we now begin to see somebody vacating his
office or principal position so that we can
accommodate the court’s ruling?”
According to him, this was his reason for calling for
an executive session on Thursday so that all the
members could sit in camera to examine the issue.
However, he expressed regrets that his colleagues
misread his intention, resulting in the fracas.
“That was why I had to call on the Chairman, Ad Hoc
Committee on Media, (Mr. Sani Zoro), to apologise to
Nigerians. I have accepted responsibility for
everything that transpired and we apologise to the
nation,” he stated.
Speaking on how to resolve the nation’s problems,
Dogara said, “I want to plead that the problems we
have in the country now are not conventional and so
conventional wisdom cannot solve them. We need
divine wisdom.”
On Buhari and other leaders, the Dogara said,
“Without prayers, there is no way we can succeed.
“So, I urge that we offer prayers and supplication for
all the leaders, beginning from the President to the
least person in authority
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