By Samuel Malik
For the second time on Tuesday, the All Progressives Congress, APC, saw lawmakers elected on its platform defy its directive for the party’s choice of leadership in the 8th National Assembly, with Yakubu Dogara emerging as Speaker of the House of Representative despite Femi Gbajabiamila winning Saturday’s mock election to decide who would become speaker.
Dogara, from Tafawa Balewa/ Bogoro, Bauchi Constituency, polled 182 to defeat Gbajabiamila of Surelere, Lagos constituency, who polled 174.
The election followed the one that took place earlier in the Senate when Bukola Saraki controversially emerged Senate President against the party’s choice of Ahmed Lawan. The Senate election took place when majority of the APC senators were in meeting with the party leadership to decide what should happen.
Dogara’s emergence is the second time in a row that members of the Green Chambers went against their parties’ order. In 2011, Aminu Tambuwal was elected speaker despite his party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, adopting Mulikat Akande-Adeola.
Dogara and his supporters walked out of Saturday’s mock election and said they would rather lose on the floor of the House.