Posted by By JAMES OJO, Abuja on
Despite "peace entreaties" by some South West governors to save the embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Olubnumi Etteh, some of her colleagues from the zone are already positioning themselves to step into her shoes in the event of her resignation or impeachment over the reports of the panel that probed her.
Despite "peace entreaties" by some South West governors to save the embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mrs. Patricia Olubnumi Etteh, some of her colleagues from the zone are already positioning themselves to step into her shoes in the event of her resignation or impeachment over the reports of the panel that probed her.
The post of the Speaker of House of Representatives was zoned to the South West by the leadership of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party [PDP].
Incidentally, Sunday Sun checks revealed that prominent among those angling to succeed Etteh are Reps from Ogun State, home base of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo widely believed to have influenced her emergence in the first place.
The Ogun contenders are followed by those from Oyo, and then Osun. The incumbent Speaker hails from Osun State.
The report submitted by the Idoko-led panel had indicted Etteh. She was found to have breached due process and budgetary provisions in the award of N628million contracts to renovate her official quarters, her deputy's quarters and the purchase of vehicles for principal officers by a nine-man panel that probed the contracts scam.
As at Friday evening, Sunday Sun findings showed that there had been series of meetings convened by the Integrity Group to select a suitable candidate to replace her in the event that the debate of the reports when the House resumes on October 16 was not in her favour. This is coming just as the Etteh camp perfects strategies to ensure the Speaker still berth safely when the House reconvenes in two weeks time.
Leading the pack from Ogun State is Hon. Dave Salako, the present leader of the South West caucus in the House. He is said to be enjoying the backing of most members from the zone as a better alternative to Mrs. Etteh.
Suave Salako earlier showed interest in the race when it was becoming clearer that the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives would be zoned to the South West by the PDP.
But, who would dare the lion in its chamber? The fear of Obasanjo was the beginning of wisdom, hence, Salako and others had to operate from behind the scene as far as the race to the Speakership was concerned.
Now that the shadow of Obasanjo is fading away fast, Salako is using his contact among members in other zones to prepare for the plum job. It was confirmed during the week that members pushing for Salako had reached out to influential members across the zones.
Also showing interest in the race to replace Etteh is Hon Kayode Amusan. Amusan is the representative of Obansanjo's constituency in the House. Even though he earlier indicated interest in the job like Salako, he chickened out when it was clear that the former president was rooting for Etteh to emerge the first female Speaker of the House.
Sources close to the Integrity Group told Sunday Sun that Amusan had reached out to them to consider him as the best candidate to manage the House from the South West. A supporter of Etteh confessed that he stopped attending meetings of the Integrity Group when Amusan contacted him to support him to replace Etteh.
Also in the race is Hon Dimeji Bankole who styles himself as the "young turk" to take the House to the next level "after Etteh's embarrassing era".
Bankole's name earlier featured among those jostling to emerge Speaker before Obasanjo's presidency settled for Etteh.
Also positioning himself as capable replacement for Mrs Etteh is Hon Razak Adewusi. Although he would neither confirm nor deny at the weekend that he was interested in the race, members of the new committee on Customs said that he had been talking to them in "parables", suggesting that he was keen in testing his worth for the race.
From Osun State comes Hon Wole Oke, the chairman of Defence committee. He was the only visible member from the South West that showed interest in the race before Obasdanjo imposed Etteh on the zone.
Oke had canvassed support of the caucus of states in the zone and other zones that he was better armed to lead the House. He perished the thought when leaders of the party in the South West summoned members and told them to queue behind Etteh.
Hon Leo Awoyemi from Osun, Sunday Sun checks reveal, is equally warming up to replace Etteh if the state would be allowed to produce another candidate for the Speakership.
Meanwhile, the Speaker, it was gathered, has enlisted the support of the Senate President, David Mark and the Presidency, using her supporters in the House to prevail on members of the Integrity Group to sheathe their sword and embrace peace.
It was gathered that the two week recess was to enable the camp of the Speaker to douse tension and lobby her opponents from plots to force her to resign.
Part of arguments being canvassed by the Etteh camp to sway opponents to her side, it was gathered, is claim that nowhere in the panel's report was it established that the Speaker personally took delivery of any money nor did she bid for any contract. Her supporters continue to argue that the panel report only established "procedural errors which are technical in nature and are the responsibility of the beauracracy".
Said one of them: "If there were no bills of quantity, we can't hold Madam Speaker responsible for that, especially when the minutes of the July 12 meeting showed that the bureaucrats told her that due process was followed. If the tender was not advertised, whose duty is it to advertise tenders? Is Madam Speaker also supposed to go to Corporate Affairs Commission to check the registration numbers of the companies that sent in quotations? We all thought she did something terrible but the report we have does not show that."
Also cited to whip up sentiment in favour of the Speaker is the exclusion, in the panel's report, her submission to the effect that she sought expert advice of the National Assembly Management as to whether or not due process was followed at all the stages of the contract.
A vocal South South Rep equally contended that, "We do not want to be involved in the power game among bureaucrats jostling for the position of the Clerk. You know Niyi Ajiboye is still Clerk of the House in acting capacity. All the discordant tunes sang by the directors at the Panel are suspicious and some of us think there is more to it than meets the eyes."