Speaker Yakubu Dogara
A group in the House of Representatives, Parliamentary Democrats Group (PDG), has warned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers in the lower legislative chamber against an alleged move to remove the speaker, Yakubu Dogara.
The PDG gave this warning in a statement on Thursday, August 23 by Timothy Golu, a lawmaker from Plateau and spokesman of the group.
Golu said in the statement that the attempt to oust Dogara would be met “with fire” because Dogara has been performing well and is leading the house with the fear of God.
“We believe that it is the aftermath of the gale of defections that had hit the APC in recent times, of which more are being expected that is affecting the members,” the statement read.
“However, any issue that concerns the larger house will not cease to get our attention, especially the accusation by one group that another group is contemplating the impeachment of the speaker.
“We want to warn that such discussions should start and end at the APC secretariat or the secretariats of the various APC house groups. We are keeping our eyes and ears wide open for any such eventuality and to restate our readiness to return fire for fire on anyone thinking of it.
“If they claim that someone is thinking of becoming speaker in 2019 when the current tenure has not ended, it will not be out of place to suspect such motives. This is especially so when the same people have been talking strongly on the urgent need to address critical legislative issues.”
The lawmaker asked his APC colleagues not to distract the house from important issues.
“Our colleagues leading various splinter groups in the APC to allow the House to go on smoothly until June 9, 2019 or thereabout,” he said.
“We do not want the externally-influenced distraction taking place in the red chamber where some anti-democratic forces want to truncate democracy, to happen in the house. As true democrats, we are at alert, keeping vigilance and monitoring happenings with eagle eye wherever they are.”