Senator Danjuma Goje (APC-Gombe Central) has stepped down to allow Senator Ahmad Lawan (APC-Yobe) to contest for the Presidency of the 9th Senate.
Goje, who made the announcement after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso Rock Villa yesterday, said he was stepping down in the national interest.
He thanked his supporters and associates across the country, who had been urging him to declare for the Senate Presidency.
Goje said, as an elder statesman in the Senate for a long time, he should be able to appreciate leadership coming from the party elders, adding that in spite of the calls from his supporter, he had because of his loyalty to the president and for the interest of the party, decided to step down from the race.
“Even though he had enormous respect and following, he has willingly chosen to respect the wishes of the party and president, is the best position any politician could take,’’ he said.
He thanked those who had been working behind the scene to try and broker the understanding, adding that the race had been changed for the better.
Meanwhile, one of the major contenders for the position of the Senate President in the incoming Ninth National Assembly, Senator Ali Ndume (APC-Borno) has reiterated his resolve to contest on the floor of the Senate on June 11.
Ndume, who stated this in an interview with journalists, yesterday, also said he had no reason to visit President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in order to step down for Senator Ahmad Lawan, who is the candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the position.
The former Senate Leader also dismissed a social media report that he was invited to the Villa by Buhari who directed him to stop his aspiration to contest for the Senate President position.
The lawmaker said this while contributing to the valedictory session to mark the end of legislative business for the Eight Senate, yesterday.
The Borno-born politician said that the difference between democracy and military government was the independence of parliament.
Ndume said: “We had loads of disagreements. I respect your resilience and your ability to stand for what you believe in. We started together and we were doing fine. What happened was part of the learning process.
“I see a dangerous thing coming. The only thing that makes democracy different from military rule is the Parliament. We need to ensure the independence of the Parliament.
“If we take away the Parliament, what we have is not democracy. I am one of those that were controversial in the last four years. Within the process, we may have offended one another. I take nothing personal.
“This institution is very important. Let us protect the sanctity of the parliament. This is the Nigerian Senate. There is no APC or PDP Senate. This is the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We will continue to support the other side but we must work at all times to protect the sanctity of the institution of the parliament. We must continue to enhance the sanctity of the Senate at all times.”
Meanwhile, An FCT High Court, Jabi, yesterday refused to bar Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, a top contender of the Speakership of the 9th House of Representatives, from going ahead with his ambition.
The suit with No. M/6810/2019 was filed before the court by way of motion on notice by Mr Ikenga-Imo Ugochinyere and the Action Peoples Party (APP) on May 30.
Other respondents in the suit are Clerk of the National Assembly, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Inspector General of Police.
Justice Charles Agbaza refused to grant the order in an ex-parte motion with No. M/6809/2019 seeking an interim injunction restraining Gbajabiamila from contesting for the speaker of the 9th National Assembly and other principal offices, our correspondent reports
The Judge also refused to grant the fifth order praying the court for an interim injunction restraining the National Assembly from recognising the candidacy of Gbajabiamila for the speakership position or swearing him in peradventure he wins the election.
Justice Agbaza, however, ruled that the defendants should be served the court processes by way of substituted means instead of restraining Gbajabiamila which was part of the orders sought before the court.
The Judge also granted an order of accelerated hearing and adjourned until June 14 for hearing in the suit.
Meanwhile, the claimants, Ugochinyere and his party had alleged in the suit that Gbajabiamila, the member representing Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State had been convicted and sentenced to prison.
The claimant alleged that Gbajabiamila had been convicted for the offence of involving in dishonesty and fraud by the Supreme Court of State of Georgia, United States of America in suit No. S06Y0829.
Ugochinyere alleged in the suit that Gbajabiamila gave false information in Form CF001 that he has no criminal allegation or sentence submitted to INEC in 2011 and 2018.
The claimant added in the suit that while the defendant was living in the United States of America, he was subjected to investigation by the Investigative Panel of the State Disciplinary Board for violation of Georgia Rules of Professional Conduct.
Ugochinyere alleged that the offence against Gbajabiamila arose out of the defendant involvement in the case he has between MsHadyatou Barry and her sister Yaye, who were involved in an accident in 2001 and engaged the service of the defendant.
The claimant alleged in the suit that the Gbajabiamila later settled the case for the two sisters, received a cheque of 25, 000 dollars but failed to communicate and remit the share due to them.
Also, a civil rights movement under the aegis of Coalition of Public Interest Lawyers and Advocates (COPA), yesterday, claimed that it was in possession of all documents and evidences which established a clear case of fraudulent dishonesty and abuse of trust against a member of the House of Representatives-elect, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila.
The organisation also faulted the refusal of Gbajabiamila to address allegation of imprisonment, perjury and stealing levelled against him through a proxy and former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Hon Abdulmumuni Jibrin.
The Convener of COPA and human rights activist, Pelumi Olajengbesi, told journalists during a press briefing in Abuja, yesterday, that the best opinion left now was for President Muhammadu Buhari to direct security agencies to undertake an in-depth investigations into the allegations against Gbajabiamila.
“COPA 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”, he stated.
According to him, such investigation by security agencies would “prevent Nigeria from embracing a reputation crisis even before the 9th National Assembly takes off.”
Olajengbesi said, “On Wednesday, June 5, 2019, Nigerians were treated to a classic case of political masturbation when the touted candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Femi Gbajabiamila, chose to spit in our faces rather than respond to the weighty issue of fraud levied against him.
“For several weeks now, Gbajabiamila has been assailed with mounting cases. But, perhaps, in tandem with its public image of fighting corruption with insecticides when it concerns an opposition party members, virtually all the top echelon of the APC have continued to look the other way.
“Even Gbajabiamila adopted the same whimsical attitude, until a combination of civil society, opposition political parties and citizens’ outcry compelled him to promise a ‘world press conference’ during which he would tackle the issues.
“It was, therefore, with utmost shock that come the D-day, instead of having Gbajabiamila mount the rostrum, a motley crowd of APC lawmakers gathered at the elitist Transcorp Hilton, to instead trifle with the issues.
“As a coalition of public spirited officers in the temple of justice, we insist that nobody should be allowed to put his personal integrity at stake, least of all the image of Nigeria and Nigerians for a man who is being gripped with weighty allegations.
In another development, members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the House of Representatives have debunked media reports that they had endorsed Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila or any other candidate for the speakership position for the incoming 9th National Assembly.
In a statement, yesterday, in Abuja, the House Minority Leader, Hon. Leo Ogor, described such reports as the handiwork of propagandists and mischief-makers, clarifying that PDP lawmakers had neither endorsed Gbajabiamila nor any other speakership candidate for that matter.
The statement reads, “In our Eid-el-Fitri message, we felicitated with all our Muslim brothers and sisters across Nigeria, and emphasised the significance of worthy virtues, stating that our members may participate in meetings, strategy sessions and other activities of speakership aspirants to come back to the caucus with convincing assessments.
“While some publications disseminated accurate and objective report, few others fabricated a completely new angle with one even using a deliberately fictitious and grossly erroneous headline in a manner that suggests being used for the ruling party’s usual misinformation and propaganda.
“Contrary to what has been sensationally reported by some, at no time did we give our members a directive to vote for any APC speakership aspirant; I hereby categorically dissociate myself and the PDP House caucus from the false comments being attributed to us as participation in meetings should not be deliberately misinterpreted as a directive on voting,” Ogor said.
The minority leader pointed out that the PDP House Caucus has remained solidly united although it has continued to grant audience to various speakership aspirants who were currently consulting them.
Meanwhile, the former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, has insisted that he would run for the position of Deputy Senate President even if the All Progressives Congress (APC) opposes his ambition.
He said this when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, yesterday.
“Let me be honest with you, even if the party asks me not to run, I will run on the floor of the House. This is one position I have to run for because you cannot leave the South-East alone, you can’t leave them behind,” Kalu said.
He further stressed that giving the South-East a worthy position was in line with ensuring that the nation was ruled with equity.
“We are in the process of doing the right thing, and the East will be given a place in the scheme of things. I am asking that the East should be given the Deputy Senate President.
“There is a high level of discussions about that, and I’m sure that it would be a law in the House,” he added.