ALL IS FAIR IN WAR AS FEMI GBAJABIAMILA'S ENEMIES FIGHTS DIRTY.

Those who do not like Femi Gbajabiamila's visibility and rise, those who do not like the camp that he belongs to (he is unrepentantly a strong member of the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu's camp) and who would want their pound of flesh have merged together to fight the one they now see as a common enemy. And in fighting the battle to what they believe is a conclusion, they are willing to use every weapon in their arsenals to achieve their goal. For these people, they have embraced wholeheartedly, the maxim that, "all is fair in war". So whatever is is going to take, is what they are willing to give it.

What is it particularly that is bringing so much attention on the exemplary lawyer and law maker, it's none other than the battle for the position of the speaker (leader) of the Federal House of Representatives, which makes the one that emerges for the post, as the 4th in rank on the power hierarchy in the country.

The speaker of the national assembly of a country, is a massive position of influence and what the norm actually dictates is that, the party that's in the majority in the house, picks the person to occupy that position. What the party in the majority normally does is to pick a consensus candidate from amongst themselves, who they would all vote for to become the speaker, but with the APC which is the ruling party, it has been a party in chaos and disarray. So a house divided against itself cannot stand. So if care is not taken, they might just lose out all over again. Like in the 8th assembly.

With so many from the same party laying claim to the post, it hasn't been as straightforward as the party would have loved it. So with the in-fighting in the party getting more intense by the day, making them not to stand as one, it has allowed the opposition to plant seeds of discord to further pull them apart. And that opposition scheming powerfully and might actually spring a surprise.

Part of what they have used to their advantage so far is to bring to question the integrity of the major front runner for position from the APC in the person of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.

First was the question of his abroad based daughter, who is a supposed model, whose unrestrained lifestyle they have called into question and then now is this campaign of calumny that is fast gaining grounds that he was a convicted felon in the US in 2007 where he was formerly based. So the idea is basically that how can a former criminal or felon aspire to such a sensitive position as that of the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives of Nigeria.

In fact there's even a court case - FHC/ABJ/CS/539/2019, was specifically instituted already by a Phillip Undie. The plaintiff, Mr Philip Undie, who identified himself as a taxpayer, in a 25-paragraph affidavit, told the court that he has evidence that the 1st defendant was convicted by the Supreme Court of Georgia in 2007.

Consequently, he as asked the court to determine “whether upon the construction of section 66 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, vis-à-vis the judgement of the Supreme Court of the State of Georgia, Atlanta, USA, in suit No. SO6YO829 in the matter of Femi Gbaja, the 1st defendant is the fit and proper person to be elected to the House of Representatives and/or to the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.”

To Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila's detractors, It is like one's past catching up on one.

So would this people, these enemies of progress succeed in their dastardly schemes? It is left to be seen as the countdown to the election in June of 2019 gets near.

HAS PMB FINALLY MADE HIS CHOICE FOR SENATE PRESIDENT PUBLIC? WOULD IT BE SENATOR AHMAD LAWAN FOR THE SENATE & HON. FEMI GBAJABIAMILA FOR THE SPEAKER SHIP?

Senator Ahmad Lawan

Hon. Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila 

The ruling party are doing all they can to prevent thunder from striking twice at the National Assembly over the choice of leadership for the next session of the house, at both the upper and the lower houses.

The sting of the manuevres, which some have likened to a coup that had installed the outgoing leadership of both Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki and Speaker, Hon. Yakubu Dogara wouldn't be forgotten in a hurry and most likely can never ever be forgotten. In 2015 while the APC was still dragging their feet thinking they had all the time in the world to pick and install their anoited as leaders of the Houses, members of their own party led by wily Senator Saraki and Hon. Dogara like thieves in the night, with the active connivance of the opposition party, gave everyone a rude shock, that nearly gave many heart attacks, when those not slated to lead the house were voted in as leaders of the assembly and from that moment onward the schism that nearly tore the party and the NASS apart began.

Much as the APC on the other side, tried to scheme out, the APC that operated the so called coup in connivance with the PDP, they met a super smart opponent(s), who embarrassed them at each move and turn,  and in fact outsmarted them all the way. So now to avoid falling in to the same pit twice, they seem to have resolved to make hay, while the sun is still shining properly.

The leadership of the APC led by the Chairman of the party in the person of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, former Governor of Edo State met with the APC house of assembly elects only yesterday and advised that all the leadership positions available in the houses must be filled by members of the party alone except for the ones that the opposition should occupy by right. He especially emphasized that those to be elected also must be loyal party members alone. For the Federal House of Representatives, it seems that the preferred candidate, in fact the anointed one for the Speakership position again is the brilliant lawyer and lawmaker, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, who is the current house majority leader of the outgoing lower house. For the post of who would become the 3rd most powerful man in the country, it seems like everything is again pointing at the same man, that the party had proposed to make the Senate President in 2015, in the person of distinguished gentleman Senator Ahmad LAWAN. But he would have a battle at hand as he must contend with a fellow party man, Senator Ali Ndume.

Senator Ahmad Lawan himself has finally come out to show interest in occupying the post and to lead the 9th session of the National Assembly starting from June 2019. For Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, he has never hidden the fact that he wants to lead the House of Representatives as her speaker. He had thought he was coasting home to victory in 2015, only to be blindsided and beaten by an 8 votes margin the last time, when Hon. Yakubu Dogara and cohorts outsmarted him winning by 182 to 174  votes.

Though the Chairman of the APC at a meeting with all the APC elected Assembly members yesterday, Monday, March 25, 2019 had come out to show his personal support for Senator Ahmad Lawan from Yobe, that endorsement by Comrade Adams Oshiomhole might not have gone well with everyone, especially another Senator, in the person of distinguished Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, who has come out to kick against Oshiomhole's endorsement of the former. Senator Ali Ndume is in fact a fellow member of the ruling party the APC from Borno. The APC have the numerical advantage in both HOUSES on the coming 9th Assembly and want to use the advantage well. Senator Ali Ndume was the former House Majority Leader whom Ahmad Lawan took over from after he was suspended at upper house for 6 months and was removed as Majority leader. He would be 59 come November 20, 2019. He had his OND & HND from Kaduna Poly in 1980 & 82 respectively. He got his B.Ed & M.Ed from the University of Toledo Ohio in 1990, Magna Cum Laude. He has been at the National Assembly for 16 years now, since 2003 as a member of the House of representatives then as a Senator since 2011. So he has the requisite experience needed too. He was formerly of the ANPP then the PDP & now the APC.  From the ensuing scenario, the ruling party had better handle their situation well or they might just allow the same situation that messed them up in 2015 to rear up its ugly head all over again. A house already divided against itself like they say, cannot stand the wiles, schemes, trickery and moves of an opposition/enemy that is very smart too but with its back already to the wall. So they are desperate and wouldn't mind to scatter everything. In fact they can even begin to preach that the House of Assembly is not about party affiliations, but about men and woman who can pick whomsoever they want as leaders.

Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan, 60, was born January 12, 1959. He is currently the Senate majority leader and an APC Member from Yobe North in Yobe State. He has been a member of the National Assembly since 1999 till date, that's 20 years straight. He is a graduate of the University of Maiduguri, Borno State with a B.Sc in Geography 1984, he has a Masters in Remote Sensing from the ABU, Zaria 1990, then he also has a Doctorate in Remote Sensing from Cranfield University, UK 1996. He moved from the House of representatives to the Upper house.

For Hon. Olufemi Hakeem Gbajabiamila, 56, he was born June 25, 1962 so would be 57 come this June just around the time the 9th Assembly would commence. This would be his 5th term in the House, where he has done exemplarily and commendably well. He has represented his Surulere 1 Federal Constituency super well and by extension his party. The trained lawyer, who owns law chambers in both Nigeria and America has had a great 2 decades of experience in the House, where at a point he sponsored the highest number of bills by any legislator. He is always a delight a hear. Were he to become the Speaker of the 9th house, then the House would he the good for it.