Again, lawmakers’ attempt to defy party causes brawl

It seems the attempts made by the leadership of the APC to avoid the impasse created by the election of the leadership of the National Assembly, repeating itself in the election of its principal officers did not yield results.

Both chambers of the federal legislature on Tuesday, could not come to an agreement on how the positions should be shared, with senators engaging themselves in physical brawl.

In the case of the Senate, an argument between two APC Senators, Kabiru Marafa and Tayo Alasoadura, degenerated into a physical combat as a last minute attempt by the party’s caucus in the Senate to select the principal officers ended in a stalemate.

In the House, the situation was not different as the presentation of new officers was again deferred upon the resistance of associates of Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who are opposed to the choices presented by the party leadership.

The meeting of the Senate caucus was convened in Abuja by the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, to unite members of his group, the Like Minds Senators and those loyal to Senator Ahmad Lawan, the Senate Unity Forum.

The meeting was also aimed at arriving at a common position on the selection of principal officers.

Trouble was said to have started immediately after Saraki had delivered his speech and urged his colleagues to dissolve into zonal caucuses to produce their representatives for the posts of Senate Leader, the Deputy Senate Leader, the Chief Whip and the Deputy Whip.

It was at that stage that Senator Suleiman Hunkunyi, got angry on hearing Saraki’s call on members to dissolve into zonal caucuses.

Hunkunyi disagreed openly with Saraki on the issue and insisted that the meeting should rather ratify the names already sent to his (Saraki) office by the APC leadership on Tuesday.

According to him, the party had forwarded a letter which recommended Senator Ahmad Lawan as Senate Leader; George Akume as deputy leader; Olusola Adeyeye as Chief Whip; and Abu Ibrahim as deputy whip.

The action of the Kaduna State senator infuriated some of his colleagues in the Saraki camp, who disagreed with the list allegedly sent by the APC Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun. They maintained that the Senate caucuses would determine their representatives.

During the commotion, Tayo Alasoadura, an APC senator faulted the choice of Adeyeye and wondered why the party did not choose Senator Ajayi Boroffice, who, according to him, is also qualified for the position.

It was at that stage that Marafa, who felt that the Like Minds senators were trying to scuttle the party’s position, reacted angrily to the opinion expressed by Alasoadura. Marafa pushed Alasoadura.

It took the intervention of Senator Rafiu Ibrahim and others to prevent Marafa and Alasoadura from further fighting each other.

Both Marafa and Alasoadura could not be reached for their comments but Ibrahim who was one of the senators that settled the quarrel, confirmed that the altercation was fallout of the disagreement during the meeting.

He, however, said that the matter was being amicably resolved.

The meeting ended abruptly with the APC senators dissolving into their various zonal caucuses to perfect the selection process. This also ended in a stalemate.

In the House situation, Dogara’s associates, according to high level sources in the House, are opposed to the party’s choice of Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila as House Leader as they alleged that his choice after the emergence of the Deputy Speaker from Osun State would distort the zoning configuration of the leadership.

Nevertheless, bad blood flowing from the leadership election pervaded proceedings in the House chambers. Supporters of Gbajabiamilia, who was defeated in the contest for speaker, penultimate Tuesday, temporarily stayed proceedings as they questioned the speaker’s ruling in the chamber.

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