Bago Blows Hopes For Consensus In Speakership Race…Vows To Take Battle To Chamber

In a seeming blow to moves by the All Progressives Congress, APC to forge consensus in the House of Representatives Speakership contest, one of the major contenders, Mohammed Bago has vowed to take the contest to the House floor.

Bago in an interview also dismissed moves to compel open voting as he enjoined his supporters to come to the chamber with the reassurance that there would be no one watching their backs.

Bago spoke against the background of desperate moves by the APC leadership to project Femi Gbajabiamila as the consensus candidate of the party for the top House position.

“I am in the race and I am going to the floor on the day of inauguration and by the grace of God, we will come out victorious,” the Niger born lawmaker who recently won election for a third term in the House said.

“So, all men and women of faith have continued to encourage us to continue on this journey and we are not going to rest on our oars. We have our colleagues behind us and by the grace of God, just the 360 of us are going to be in that hallowed chamber on that day to elect one of us,” he added.

On the move to compel loyalty through open voting to ensure adherence to the party position, Bago said:

“You see, we are very funny as a people; why didn’t the same group come out to ask for open ballot voting at the general elections if they are genuine in what they are doing?

“We cannot continue to allow people abuse corporate names or nongovernmental organisations to come under the guise of public whatever and be causing mischief, it is pure mischief. But you see the issue of who is afraid of who, why are you afraid?

“You say Mr A has every pedigree and every qualification, he has the numbers and you are already chickening out and you are telling people you want to coerce the institution of   parliament to change their rules overnight, these things are not okay and it will not happen.”

Asking members-elect not to be intimidated by comments from party leaders, he said:
“I want to reassure our colleagues, the honourable members-elect, they should not be intimidated, they should follow their heart. They know where to go. Nobody is going to be there to record you, nobody is going to see your ballot paper, nobody is going to do open ballot voting. So all these things are gimmicks.”

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