Some aggrieved House of Representatives members have constituted themselves into a group called G-70 in protest over the emergence of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila as the Speaker of the 9th National Assembly.
The members who are mostly drawn from the opposition, are said to be pursuing the nullification of the Tuesday, June 11, election, on the grounds that it was marred by bribery.
The G-70 said there was massive vote-buying before the election, even as the group accused the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Sani Omolori, of having compromised.
According to one of the leaders of the group who spoke with reporters, in Abuja, on condition of anonymity, he said they were determined to tender relevant evidence towards ensuring that the entire exercise is nullified.
He stated that one of their members had visited television stations, in Abuja, early in the morning of the election day to allege that APC was plotting massive vote-buying, emphasising that the proof is now available to the opposition, adding that additional evidence would be tendered in court.
He further stated that having raised the alarm, they have now obtained proof of the allegations, stressing that the G-70 is heading to court immediately to seek legal redress for what he described as an affront against democracy and the law.
His words: “This is the fallout of the manner in which the election of House Speaker and Deputy Speaker was conducted under an atmosphere that was rife with allegations of inducement and these have now been confirmed.
“There is verifiable photographic evidence that can be subjected to forensic analysis which clearly confirm that members were taking pictures of either the ‘green members’ card’ or their respective identity cards alongside their respective ballot papers showing whom they vote for, ostensibly for the purpose of going back to receive the balance of the monies they were promised.
“Some of our members across party lines are heading to court to demand nullification of the exercise and for the courts to declare the election null and void and to seek the prosecution of Gbajabiamila and all those members who were part of the anti-democratic conspiracy.
“Members of the G-70 also feel deeply concerned about the involvement of the Clerk of the National Assembly in the whole exercise; because when they complained to him about members going to take pictures, he, in a very unprecedented manner, said it before national television that his own job is just to provide the secrecy of the ballot and that if the members want to compromise their votes, it is their own decision.
“We find it utterly incredible that an umpire in an election of such national and historic significance would allow votes to be compromised without trying to ensure a transparency of the process and this made aggrieved members to suspect that he was already compromised with the APC led government beforehand.”
