Reps Speaker race: Stop campaign of calumny against Gbajabiamila, Jibrin warns

…We’ve never endorsed Gbajabiamila or any other candidate – PDP House Caucus

Henry Omunu and Tunde Opalana, Abuja

Barely a week to the inauguration of the 9th House of Representatives, Rep. Abdulmin Jibrin has warned elected members and other political commentators to stop the campaign of calumny against the aspiration of House Leader, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, as speaker.

He expressed worry that the media in the last few weeks has been awash with reoccurring fabrications of false accusations and outright lies against the person of Rep. Gbajabiamila.

Rep. Jibrin, who is the director general of Femi/ Wasse campaign organisation, cautioned against baseless and unfounded allegations against the person of the Lagos born legislator.

Reacting to a press conference addressed by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), he emphatically said that Rep. Gbajabiamila has never been convicted for any crime in the United States of America, Nigeria or any other country in the world as is being peddled by detractors.

“He has never been accused of corruption and has no corruption case hanging on his neck in Nigeria or anywhere around the world. He has not committed perjury and has never committed perjury in Nigeria or any country of the world.

He was eligible to contest in all previous elections he won and indeed, eligible and qualified to contest for the office of speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th Assembly.

“Femi has severally and comprehensively responded to these allegations, provided clarifications and set records straight. The allegations have also been tested and struck out in our court of law.

The state bar of Georgia has also written and categorically stated that there is no criminal conviction in the matter relating to Femi and he is currently, an active member in good standing of the state bar of Georgia. All these facts are in the public domain.

“We further wish to state that Femi has not been served any summons by a magistrate court neither has he been notified by the clerk.

We are worried that those behind these antics are trying to drag the judiciary and our revered judges to what is clearly a hatchet job.

The judiciary must not allow itself to be mixed in such cocktail of dirt,” said Jibrin while addressing the press in Abuja on Wednesday.

He, however, declared that the campaign of calumny orchestrated to poison the minds of leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against Rep. Gbajabiamila has failed woefully.

Rep. Jibrin described as disturbing the fact that the person who addressed the press conference went beyond Gbajabiamila and attacked Mr. President, parties, governors and other leaders through spreading of outright falsehood and hate speech capable of causing tension and security problems across the land.

Threatening to sue CUPP, he said the campaign organisation has petitioned the inspector general of police and other security agencies to get to the bottom of the matter and take all necessary action against him and his sponsors.

“Femi in his usual manner has maintained a dignified silence knowing truth to be a constant.

However, he has now instructed his lawyers to take every necessary legal steps against all those involved with their three parliamentary conspirators and sponsors to seek redress and sue for defamation with immediate effect,” he disclosed.

Promising that Gbajabiamila’s campaign body will not be distracted, Jibrin added that “we remain focused and undeterred and prepared for whatever antics they may further unfold.

Whatever they choose to do and however, Gbajabiamila and Ahmed Idris Wase will be on the floor on June 11 live and direct to be elected speaker and deputy speaker respectively, to take over from Speaker Yakubu Dogara, who ceases to be speaker from June 6 after our valedictory session.”

Speaking on Gbajabiamila’s personality, he said: “Femi has had a successful private legal practice career both in Nigeria and abroad.

He has had a distinguished career in the parliament being a five- term member and rising all the way in the legislature to minority leader and subsequently, majority leader.

A feat only he holds in the history of Nigeria parliament. He is a loyal Nigeria and party man.”

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Caucus in the House of Representatives has denied endorsing neither Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila or any of the other aspirants contesting the House Speakership position.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Wednesday, PDP Minority Leader, Leo Ogor, emphasised that while the caucus has directed its members to participate in meetings and strategy sessions of the APC Speakership aspirants, they never directed them to consider voting for any of the aspirants.

According to the Minority Leader, even though some confused elements in the ruling party are claiming to be ‘talking to one part of the PDP House caucus before talking to the other’, the PDP House caucus remains resolutely united, with decisive plans for strengthening democratic growth while patriotically exerting influence on the Speakership election process.

He stated that the PDP’s national leadership and members of the PDP caucus will consider the national interest and take a collective decision on whom to vote for on June 11 when the House is scheduled to be inaugurated.

“In the Eid el Fitri message issued on Tuesday, we felicitated with all our Muslim brothers and sisters across Nigeria, we emphasised the significance of worthy virtues and also stated that our members may participate in meetings, strategy sessions and other activities of Speakership aspirants so as to come back to the caucus with convincing assessments.

“While some publications have 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 stated.

According to Ogor, the PDP House Caucus has remained solidly united, even as it continues to grant audience to various Speakership aspirants.

“Of the three arms of government, the legislature is the first when it comes to the ethos and praxis of democracy; hence, our willingness to further facilitate democratic values and legislative camaraderie – values that are lacking in the ruling party – up till that day when our great party, the PDP, will take a decision.

“Indeed, on May 22 and again, on June 4, all the House Speakership aspirants of note came one after another, to meet and discuss their plans with the leadership of the PDP House Caucus.

“While we have taken the decision to enable all individual members to interact and exchange perspectives, the PDP House Caucus shall – with the input and advice of our party’s national leadership – take a final decision soon, in the interest of Nigeria and we will communicate our formal position to the public.

“Our unflinching commitment to the principles and ethos of democracy, our keenness for dialogue and our willingness to make sacrifice for the national interest should not be unduly exaggerated as a tacit endorsement or assurance of vote for any candidate of the ruling party,” he stated.