Hon. Chinedu Ogah, the member of the House of Representatives representing Ezza South/Ikwo Federal Constituency in Ebonyi State, has stated that the party did not consult before zoning the presiding officers of the 10th House of Representatives.
Ogah, who is running for Deputy Speaker, has pledged to fight until the bitter end on the House floor following the inauguration of the 10th House.
In an interview on Wednesday in Abuja, the lawmaker-elect, who is a ranking member, criticized the micro-zoning of the Deputy Speakership to a specific individual, insisting that it has never happened.
According to him, the Party would always consult with members-elect before taking a position, but the APC leadership made a decision that was communicated to them via Facebook, which they found unacceptable.
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“The Deputy Speakership of the 10th House of Representatives as it was zoned to the South East by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, I am qualified in all ramifications as a ranking member and we are three according to National Assembly rules,” he said.
“I am an APC founding member, and if our party zoned the position, we must be called.” We held a meeting in the Villa, and the Vice President-elect advised us to wait until after the supplementary election. We were not called until we saw something on Facebook after the supplementary election.”
He expressed his belief that the party and the President-elect will convene a meeting of members before the inauguration.
The lawmaker went on to explain how, in 2019, the former National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, convened a meeting of members-elect, which resulted in the emergence of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and others, and how this time should be no different.
“We will be called if our party is going to zone presiding officers.” I will always remember when Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was the National Chairman, which resulted in the election of our Speaker, Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila.
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“Oshiomhole called a meeting, then Hon. Idris Wase ran, Hon. Betara ran, and there was a kind of written agreement to have Femi as the party’s consensus candidate.” Wase was to deputise him, while Betara was to run for House Appropriations Committee Chairman. The party issued a unified statement and informed the press of their decision.
“I believe I am the sole person who has stood out to campaign for our party in the South East.” Examine the outcomes in 2019 and 2023. It is not when a person has 15 votes in his voting unit. We are all eligible to compete. To that extent, I intend to contest on the chamber floor,” he declared.
