The Coalition for Stable Democracy (CSD) has raised alarm over alleged plan to compromise the electoral process of voting for leadership of the 9th National Assembly.
National Coordinator of the Coalition, Alhaji Khaled Jibrin said there is a clandestine plot to intimidate and harass the bureaucracy of the National Assembly to alter the rules of House of Representatives and Senate as a desperate measure to brighten the chance of their preferred candidates for leadership in both chambers of the National Assembly.
Jibrin, in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja, said “the plot is being hatched by persons loyal to Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and it is to be replicated at the Senate, to rein in the Clerk to the National Assembly and if possible blackmail him to surreptitiously amend the House provision rule which provides for secret voting to reflect an open ballot voting on the day of inauguration of the 9th Assembly.
“The plot according to our finding will be coordinated by a former chairman of the House Committee on Business and Rules. We have noticed disturbing trend of desperation to foist of the National Assembly unpopular candidates. First was when they purportedly endorse a candidate for the Senate Presidency masquerading such as party’s decision and when the wicked plot was botched, the came up with fake news that President Muhammadu Buhari was behind the endorsements whereas the President had openly told the nation that he would not interfere with the leadership election process of the legislative arm.
“Again, just as it dawned on them that the imposition plot is offensive to Representatives and Senators, they organized a protest, sadly recruited the same innocent and pauperised citizens to carry placards to call for open voting against the extant provisions of the Rules, the Electoral Act and the Constitution.
Section 50, subsection (1) provides that ‘There shall be (a) a President and a Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves, and (b) a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.’ We are duty bound as Nigerians to expose these ungodly desperate plots against the wishes and aspirations of the Nigerian people.”