Senator Okorocha speaks on working against Igbo lawmakers in Reps Speakership race

SPORTS

Senator Okorocha speaks on working against Igbo lawmakers in Reps Speakership race

 

Senator representing Imo West District in the National Assembly, Rochas Okorocha, has denied involvement in the intrigues that denied Southeast the House of Representatives speakership.

Recall that Emeka Nwajiuba, lawmaker for Ehime Mbano/Ihiteuboma/Obowo federal constituency, had accused the former governor of working against Igbo lawmakers in the speakership race. 

Reacting in a statement yesterday, Okorocha’s Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemeodo, not only denied the allegation but queried how Nwajiuba arrived at the conclusion.

The statement read: “Hon. Emeka Nwajiuba of the Accord Party (AP) has, for some days now, done a lot of publications in the media accusing the former governor of the state and the senator representing Imo West, Rochas Okorocha, of being responsible for the loss of the speakership of the House of Representatives by the Southeast.

“Nwajiuba, however, did not state how he arrived at that faulty conclusion, except his contention that the former governor did not allow primaries to take place for the state chapter of All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2019 election.

“He did not also explain how, because it was the national headquarters of the party that handled the primaries of APC in the state, both the one Ahmed Gulak truncated and the second exercise.”

The Senator said it was unimaginable for him to have supported Nwajiuba for position of House of Representatives’ Speaker.

“It would have been unimaginable to believe that the president would adopt a member of Accord Party for such position, no matter the relationship, and even when his matter is at the Appeal Court.

“So, accusing Rochas Okorocha of being behind his failure to succeed with his name-dropping strategy this time was just a cover-up,” the statement added.

 

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Speakership: Go to court – lawyers dare Gbajabiamila

POLITICS

Speakership: Go to court – lawyers dare Gbajabiamila

 

A group of lawyers has challenged Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, immediate past Majority Leader, House of Representatives, to go to court over criminal allegation levelled against him by some group ahead of the National Assembly speakership election.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Director-General of the Femi Gbajabiamila/Ahmed Wase Campaign Organisation, Rep. Abdulmumin Jibrin, had on Wednesday threatened to sue leaders of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP).

According to Jibrin, the decision to sue CUPP leadership followed its criminal allegations against Gbajabiamila which were untrue.

Jibrin had insisted that Gbajabiamila had never been convicted nor served any court document hence he would participate in the Speakership election on June 11 in spite the campaign of calumny.

But the lawyers, under the auspices of Coalition of Public Interest Lawyers and Advocates (COPA), in a statement Friday, stressed that Gbajabiamila would have to first of all clear himself of the allegation before seeking to contest for the Speaker position.

The statement quoted Mr Pelumi Olajengbesi, leader of the group, as welcoming the lawmaker’s threat of going to court, noting that Nigerians would have the opportunity of knowing whether the allegation against him was true or false.

“We make bold to state that it is crystal clear that Femi Gbajabiamila lacks the moral mettle and sincerity to lead the House of Representatives as its Speaker.

“This is because the context of the press conference held on his behalf failed to address the substantive issue against him, and rather than express remorse, countered with baseless threats against the Nigerian people.

“COPA states categorically that it is in possession of all documents and evidences that establishes a clear case of fraudulent dishonesty and abuse of trust against Femi Gbajabiamila.

“The facts against Gbajiamila are, in fact, readily available to the public as they were established in a Court of Record with same being accessible to the public, and are attached herein for the avoidance of doubt.

“We have established correspondence with the Supreme Court of Georgia and we have documents of Disciplinary Case No. S06Y0829 and the family of the victim of Gbajiamila’s fraud, Hadyatou Barry and also Vesta with P. O. Box 23410 Nashville TN, 31202, the insurance company that paid the claim misappropriated by Femi Gbajabiamila.

“The entire defense raised in Femi Gbajabiamila’s behalf in the said press statement relied on a book whose thorough, unbiased reading ironically actually proves his guilt as the book acknowledges all the material facts establishing his guilt in fraudulently appropriating to himself money meant for the victim of a car accident,” the statement quoted Olajengbesi as saying.

The statement also quoted Olajengbesi as saying that no amount of half-truths and misdirection would stop them from getting to the root of the matter.

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