Femi Gbajabiamila, the new Speaker of the House of Representatives is set for clash with Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
The looming conflict is fueled by the lawmaker’s resolve to carry opposition party members in the lower legislative chamber along by appointing them heads of house committees against the wish of the APC chieftain.
Mr Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State, in April, said his party will not cede any position to members of the opposition particularly those from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He said the entire formation of the lawmaking arm is going to be winner takes all given the fact that the APC is in the majority.
“We cannot as a party which has a comfortable majority, entrust critical committees in the hands of the PDP or opposition,” Mr Oshiomhole said when joined lawmakers-elect of the party to dine with President Muhammadu Buhari who hosted a dinner for them.
“If Nigerians wanted them, they could have voted them. In the days of PDP, every committee were chaired by PDP members,” he added.
But opposing him is Mr Gbajabiamila who vowed to carry his colleagues at the chamber along despite their political differences.
“Committees will be unfolded in the next few weeks and you will see how we intend to carry the opposition along; I am not letting anything out of the bag but you can be sure that they will be carried along,” the Speaker told State House Correspondents after meeting with Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo at the latter’s office on Monday.
“You heard my inaugural speech; we are going to be doing things differently; we are going to build on whatever the achievements of the 8th Assembly are.
“It is going to be a reformed house; the reforms are going to be dished out piecemeal so as not to shut the system.
“But there will be reforms that will be for the benefit of the country. We see how it goes,’’ he added.
Mr Oshiomhole is yet to react to the new position of the legislator but he is likely going to kick against the move.
