The Group of Seven aspirants for the position of the Speaker, House of Representatives in the 10th National Assembly, popularly known as G7, has said it was not worried by the adoption of open ballot voting to choose the leadership of the House.
One of the members of the G7, Rep. Yusuf Gagdi (APC-Plateau), stated this when he spoke with newsmen on Tuesday.
He said the group remains unruffled in spite change in the House rules that now allows open ballot voting.
Gagdi, the Chairman, House Committee on Navy, said whatever manner the election was going to take, the G-7 was not bothered or scared, adding that such move had its disadvantages and advantages to both parties.
The G7 are a group of aspirants for the 10th National Assembly speaker opposed to the consensus candidate the All Progressives Congress chose.
Members of the group are Reps. Ahmed Wase, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, Sada Soli, Sani Jaji, Miriam Onuhoa, Aliyu Betara and Gagdi.
Gagdi said what would befall the fate of opposition parties that would conspire against their own party’s directive to vote for the ruling party adopted candidate might not be savoury.
He said: “Look at the composition of the House: the opposition has 182 put together, while the ruling APC has 178.
“In the circumstances, the comfortable majority we do not have as the ruling party.
“You think the 182 will not be scared of their governors and leaders who already gave them instruction regarding who becomes the speaker?”
Gagdi said the consequences of the open ballot would affect all group, adding that with this, the G7 would be good to go in whatever way the House wanted to approach the election.
NAN reports that the rules, referred to as the 10th edition, has a new provision for electing the Speaker and Deputy through an open ballot instead of the existing rule of secret ballot that has been in use since 1999.
Section 2 (f) (iii) of the controversial clause reads: “Election of presiding officers.
“Every member voting shall name clearly and in the open the candidate of his choice.”
Meanwhile, a former Clerk of the House of Reps, Gani Ojagbohunmi, has confirmed that voting during the election of the two presiding officers of the Senate and House of Reps were usually through secret ballot.
Ojagbohunmi stated this during the presentation of a paper, titled: “Opening of a new Parliament: The case of National Assembly,” at the induction of new members-elect.
He said: “Voting is usually by secret ballot.
“After the result has been collated, they are handed over to the Clerk of that House who shall submit the result of the division to the Clerk to the National Assembly.”
He said the CNA shall then declare the member-elect with the majority of votes duly elected the presiding officer.
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