Why PDP Reps-elect want Dogara as Speaker — Rep Okwu

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Says members will reject imposition of candidate

Rep. Samson Okwu, who is returning to the House of Representatives for a second term on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP to represent Oju/Obi Federal Constituency of Benue State in this interview asserts that PDP House members would not kowtow to the desires of external influences in the choice of the next speaker of the House.

By Levinus Nwabughiogu

Given that your party would be in opposition in the next House would there be a role for you in determining the next leadership?

We are determined to do that and we want to do it in such a way that we will choose leaders that will have support across party lines and will also look out for the interest of the country and members. It is no longer about APC or PDP it is about the House of Representatives and what is happening is not a different thing. By the time the 8th House is inaugurated, we are going to elect a Speaker of our choice.

The APC has not yet zoned the positions, does that mean that you in the PDP will also abide by the APC zoning formula?

Well, let me say this, let no one make a mistake, the House has a precedence that happened in the House since 1999. The PDP then in 1999 wanted Salisu Buhari to become the Speaker, but he didn’t last because he was not the choice of the members. He lasted only two months and Ghali Na’Abba was elected. The same scenario played itself in 2003. The party wanted Hon. Matazu who was even a returning member but the members didn’t want him and they elected Hon. Aminu Bello Masari as Speaker.

Similar thing happened in 2007 when Hon. Patricia Etteh was imposed on members. They accepted her but after four months, they forced her out and Dimeji Bankole was elected. The same scenario or even worse than the previous ones happened in 2011 when PDP tried to impose Hon. Mulikat Adeola-Akande and we didn’t want her. So we brought Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal as our Speaker.

If the party in power is thinking that things have changed, they will surely be proved wrong. It is not about the party, it is the attitude of the House of  Representatives to always go its own way in choosing its leadership. If APC is thinking that members will abide by its zoning arrangement, the same scenario will play out because we are all the same members and nothing has changed.

Are you saying that the PDP caucus will team with up some APC lawmakers to achieve your aim?

The House Rules has not changed. It is not about political party is about who will have the control of the House and lead us right and protect the interest of Nigerians and not that of his godfather. If the party anoints someone we don’t like, we won’t abide by their zoning more so that we have the number to determine that.

Who then are you supporting for the Speakership?

We are solidly behind Hon. Yakubu Dogara as Speaker. And we are determined to deliver him come June.

What are your reasons for supporting Dogara?

We want somebody who will rally all members behind him. Dogara is that person who will protect the interest of members and all Nigerians. He does not answer to any godfather. He doesn’t take weekly briefings from a godfather who lives hundreds of kilometers from Abuja like a puppet. Dogara looks at the 359 constituencies as his own constituency. Invariably we are transferring the demands of our constituents to him and we know he is capable of shouldering the responsibilities of the office of the Speaker.

 Do you think it will be possible to gather the required number for Dogara to emerge Speaker?

Members already know who is the right person and they are just waiting for time. That is why you are seeing a lot of endorsements for Dogara from different caucuses across the country.? All of us who endorsed Dogara have voting rights in June and it cut across all political parties. But we in the PDP in particular will deliver bloc vote to Dogara.

What would you say about some members of your North-Central Zone caucus that dissociated themselves from Dogara’s endorsement?

Some people who will not be in the chamber in the next Assembly are said to have endorsed somebody but it is useless because they don’t have voting rights. We are the ones that will vote and not the outgoing members. Those who came out to condemn the endorsement are not members of 8th Assembly. They are not members of our caucus. Look at the list, they are outgoing members of the House but the in-coming members have done their endorsement and they are the ones who have the voting right.

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