Dogara Opens Up:Reason I didn’t read APC’s letter

Firstclass newsline gathered that the Speaker of the House of
Representatives, 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."
Firstclassnewsline.net