Atiku hails Buhari’s intervention in N’Assembly rift APC
House caucus hold inaugural meeting
By Onyebuchi Ezigbo and Damilola Oyedele in Abuja 

Details have emerged on how the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, conceded the position of House
Leader to the former Minority Leader, Hon. Femi
Gbajabiamila.
It was gathered that following the directive from President
Muhammadu Buhari to the gladiators of the warring Consolidation Group headed by
Dogara and the Loyalists’ Group headed by Gbajabiamila on Monday night, both
camps had resolved to maintain the party’s arrangement, but allow the APC zonal
caucuses to decide the occupants by election.
Dogara might however have realised that he would not be able
to secure any positions for his loyalists if he allowed the matter to be
decided by election.
A source told THISDAY that already, the All Progressives
Congress (APC) members from the North-west were considering nominating another
member other than Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa.
Some of the them, including Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, were
said to be miffed at the manner Doguwa quickly abandoned Gbajabiamila and
pitched his tent with the Consolidation Group, when he was offered the position
of House Leader.
Hon. Pally Iriase who
was also offered the position of Chief Whip, was also considered to have
betrayed the cause of party supremacy.
Both men, before they formally accepted and defended their
acceptance of the nominations, were key members of the Gbajabiamila caucus.
“After plenary yesterday, the APC members were supposed to
head to the secretariat, where the elections would be conducted. But the
Speaker decided if the matter went to election, he might not be able to get
Doguwa and Iriase on board. Remember that he went out during the debate on the
legislative agenda while Lasun took over. Likely he went to decide on the
matter” a source told THISDAY.
THISDAY further gathered that Gbajabiamila was taken by
surprise by the announcement, which the Speaker made when he returned to the
floor of the House, because he, Gbajabiamila, was expecting to go for elections
as agreed in the resolution.
“So in the end, while he conceded the major position of
contention to Gbajabiamila, his loyalists occupy the other positions. He chose
Buba Fibrin over Monguno, but obviously Monguno would also be given
commensurate appointment,” the source added.
The positions as announced on Tuesday by Dogara are Deputy
Leader, Hon. Buba Jibrin (North-central),
Chief Whip- Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa (North-west)and Deputy Chief Whip-
Hon. Pally Iriase (South-south).
THISDAY gathered that steps are being taken by the different
caucuses to try to mend fences which have been badly fractured in the last few
weeks of wrangling.
Meanehile, former Vice-President, Atiku Abubakar, has
commended President Muhammadu Buhari for the fatherly role he played in the
resolution of the National Assembly crisis.
Atiku said the peaceful resolution of the House of
Representatives leadership crisis, which until now, had bogged down the
activities of the House was as a result of compromise and accommodation of
interests.
In a statement released by his Media Office in Abuja
Wednesday, the former vice-president recalled that the amicable outcome of the
tension was in line with his earlier position that compromise and accommodation
were necessary in ending the deadlock.
According to the former vice-president, the opposing sides
have demonstrated maturity, wisdom and sense of patriotism by finally arriving
at a workable compromise.
He said in any compromise, you win some and lose some of
your demands, explaining that he was constantly disturbed by how the crisis was
adversely affecting the change agenda of the APC administration.
He therefore, called on the warring parties in the House of
Representatives to put the bitterness of the crisis behind them, and direct
their energies towards the success of the governing APC administration.
However, the APC Caucus in the House of Representatives held
their inaugural meeting late last night.
The gathering was the first time all APC House members would
meet since the wrangling that followed the election of the presiding officers
of the House, and announcement of principal officers.
It would also be the first time the Speaker, Hon. Yakubu
Dogara, and Majority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, would sit together as one
caucus.
The lawmakers are expected to outline the party’s agenda in
the lower chambers and discuss some communication that had been sent in by
President Muhammadu Buhari.
THISDAY gathered that the meeting was also intended to mend
fences in the fractured caucus due to the need for all party House members to
work together.
The meeting which started at about 9.30p.m., was ongoing as
at press time.
Credit: Thisday
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