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SPEAKERSHIP: CUPP moves against Gbajabiamila, approaches Abuja Court
The Coalition of United Political Parties, CUPP, on Tuesday said it was against the emergence of the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, as the next Speaker.
CUPP spokesman, Imo Ugochinyere, who was joined by national chairmen of 12 political parties while addressing journalists in Abuja, said the choice of Gbajabiamila was contrary to the present administration’s acclaimed anti-corruption war.
According to him, the Majority Leader was not competent to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives because he had earlier been convicted of “wilful dishonesty” by the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia in the United States.
Insisting that CUPP was not interested in who the lawmakers decide to lead them, Ugochinyere pointed out that Gbajabiamila’s choice was “morally, politically and constitutionally wrong.”
He also revealed that CUPP, through the Action Peoples Party, had commenced criminal proceedings against Gbajabiamila before Grade 1 Area Court of the Federal Capital Territory sitting in Karshi.
He explained that the case was instituted because Gbajabiamila had at different times given false information on oath to the Independent National Electoral Commission when he claimed in the commission’s Form CF001 that he had never been indicted by a tribunal, court or administrative panel of fraud or dishonesty.
He said: “A court in the FCT has issued criminal summons on Femi Gbajabiamila to appear in person on June 10 and the court also granted an exparte application to serve him by substituted means through the clerk of the National Assembly.”
Ugochinyere further disclosed that the CUPP backed the use of secret ballot system to elect the leadership of the Ninth National Assembly, adding that it was the only way to allow lawmakers vote for their leaders according to their conscience.
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