Dogara To Akande

Dogara To Akande : Your Allegations On

My Election Are False, Baseless

Ayodele Afolabi, Abuja – The Speaker of the

House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara has

taken the former All Progressives Congress

(APC) Interim National Chairman Chief Bisi

Akande to the cleaner over a statement he

made to a section of the media on Sunday

alleging that oil barons who never liked

President Muhammadu Buhari`s anti-

corruption stance allegedly sponsored the

election of Dogara as Speaker.

A statement signed by Dogara’s media aide,

Turaki Hassan on Monday described Akande

allegation as baseless and false urging the

people to disregard him.

The Statement said that the antecedence,

capacity, experience of the Speaker, being a

team player, incorruptible and his progressive

mind and activities are the qualities that

endeared him to his colleagues.

“These were the selling points among

members-elect that made him to be elected

Speaker.

“Therefore, the allegation by Chief Akande is

unbecoming of a well-respected elder-

statesman and a

former Interim National Chairman of the APC.

“It is baseless and lacking in substance and

merit and can best be described as figment of

Chief Akande`s imagination.

“We challenge Chief Akande to name the so-

called oil barons whom he alleged sponsored

the election of the Rt.Hon. Speaker.

“In case Chief Akande does not know, the

first investigative motion adopted by the 8th

House of Representatives under the leadership

of the Rt. Hon. Speaker was to investigate

the allegation of fraud in the oil-swap

contract awarded by the Nigerian National

Petroleum Corporation (NNPC).

“A resolution instituting investigation into the

allegation was passed with a resolve to

constitute an Ad-hoc committee to

investigate the NNPC, as well as its

subsidiary, Pipelines and Products Marketing

Company over the swap contracts.

“How then can the House under the

leadership of Mr. Speaker orde investigation

into activities of those who allegedly

sponsored his election?

“Chief Akande`s allegation is both unfortunate

and uncharitable.

What we expect the Chief to do at this critical

time in the life of our nation and the APC as

a party is to play the role of an elder-

statesman and help to bring warring party

members to the table and not ignite crisis

that will further divide the party that he

helped to build.

“Since assuming duty as Speaker, Rt. Hon.

Yakubu Dogara has not left anyone in doubt

as to his stance on corruption which is the

bane of Nigeria`s development.

“Thus, he presented the draft legislative

agenda of the 8th Assembly to the House last

week which among other things proposed

legislations that will help fight corruption.

“Mr. Speaker has on different occasions

reiterated his resolve to compliment President

Buhari`s anti-corruption stance and insists

that the present crop of leaders don’t have

any excuse to give to Nigerians on the

change promised them before and during the

election that brought APC into power.

“We call on all Nigerians and the general

public to disregard such allegations as they

are meant to distract the new leadership of

the legislature from concentrating on passing

legislations that will help to fight poverty,

insecurity, infrastructural decay, and to revive

our economy”, the statement added