Shekarau: No overtures from Ganduje, ruling APC Ranking APC lawmakers may get ‘special consideration’ ...as Oshiomhole meets Reps caucus, Dogara absent
House of Representatives leader Femi Gbajabiamila has urged the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to give special consideration to experienced lawmakers ahead of the party primaries.
He made the call during a meeting between the Comrade Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committe (NWC) and the House of Reps APC caucus at the party secretariat in Abuja yesterday.
The majority leader who said some of the lawmakers resisted “the abysmal and failed attempt to turn APC into a
minority in party in the house and Senate,” added that they also rejected the promises of mouth-watering cash plus automatic tickets being offered by the opposition.
He, therefore, called on the party leadership to appreciate the legislators who had remained steadfast and committed themselves to the ideals of the party despite sharing in the grievances of those who had left.
He said, “It is time to consolidate and make sure we stay in touch with our members, keep them close, continue to appreciate them, and continue to fight for these members. A lot of them are first-timers, that only is a case to make.
“If you want this country to progress, we can continue to turn members around firsttimers who have acquired experienced to become ranking members and have represented the party at the grassroots level. They should be taken into serious consideration and I think they deserve a second term.
“If they don’t come back we are going to lose the first six months to one year training the freshers. How does that help the party? How does that help the country?” the majority leader said.
The APC National Chairman, in his reaction, assured them that the party would not neglect the experienced lawmakers.
Oshiomhole said the party would make efforts to retain seasoned legislators with value.
“Somebody asked me are we countering the PDP by offering automatic ticket. I said, “did we offer anybody departure ticket?” If we did not, then how does the issue of return ticket arise?
“For me, I am tired. We just need to ensure every legislature who has value, who is at home with his people, that legislature is of value to the party and the party will do all to retain such.
“Our party must consciously work to produce seasoned senators. We will get there. If it took them 100 years to get there, we don’t have to take 50 years to get there. I want to assure you that it can’t be argued that experience can be discarded,” he said.
Rep Abdulmumini Jibril, in his contribution during the question-and-answer session, said the APC national chairman promised to ensure primaries that were anchored on the principles of fairness, justice and equity.
House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara and his deputy Sulaimon Yussuf were absent at the meeting yesterday. Gbajabiamila led the APC caucus to the meeting.
Daily Trust reports that some APC leaders had urged the party to bar Dogara and Senate President Bukola Saraki from attending its functions, accusing the duo of organising the recent defections in the National Assembly.
It is not clear if Dogara’s absence had anything to do with the call, as Saraki also stayed away from the meeting between APC Senate Caucus with President Muhammadu Buhari and Oshiomhole on Wednesday night.
Fielding questions from journalists after the meeting in company of Abdulmumini Jibril and other members, Gbajabiamila said the absence of Dogara might be due to the impromptu nature of the meeting which was fixed within the last 24 hours.
“The speaker is aware of this meeting. My text message is here. But perhaps he has other engagement because it was a meeting fixed in the last few hours and for somebody like the speaker, you should know he has a lot of engagements. It was not a meeting that was fixed two or three days ago. It was an impromptu quick meeting,” Gbajabiamila said.
“The deputy speaker is aware as well. We spoke this morning (yesterday’s morning). He has engagement. Please, I will not want you to read what is not there into it. Don’t read anything at all. In fact, I’m here standing in for him,” he added.
However, sources told Daily Trust that Dogara was not in town during the meeting.
One of them said the speaker may have busied himself with the APC primary election for the Bauchi South senatorial seat that took place between Wednesday and yesterday.
The majority leader said Oshiomhole appreciated their commitment in the midst of defections.
When asked whether the caucus was on the same page with Oshiomhole, who seemed to believe that the party should move on amid defections, Gbajabiamila said, “I think you got it wrong. You can reconcile and drain the swamp. Consolidation is after the fact that you have drained the swamp and the swamp was drained yesterday (Tuesday). So, we are now consolidating on the remainder. So, there is no discrepancy at all. We are all on the same page.”
The house leader, who flayed the calls for ‘automatic ticket’ to aspirants vying for positions in 2019 general elections, however said it should not be equated with “establishment candidate.”
He said “Mr Chairman, not only are they being offered mouth-watering cash, but they are being given automatic tickets and I say to members, the people who are complaining about internal democracy. In APC, a complaint I do not agree with. How come they are offered automatic tickets and they accept? What are they complaining about in the other party? “Our members have settled their deceit because that is what it is and I can guarantee that the automatic ticket is just a mirage.
“Even in 24 hours, some are even regretting, we are beginning to see people come back after seeing the handwriting on the wall that it came and just left like that.”