BY DAYO ADESULU
Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives has been cautioned by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP not to punished members of the House of representatives who he perceived to be loyal to PDP.
PDP said: “Gbajabiamila should, therefore, steer clear and bury the thoughts of punishing the loyal members of our party just because they are obedient to the decisions of the PDP.
Kola Ologbondiyan, the party’s spokesperson in a statement issued warned the Speaker to retrace his steps for his own good.
His statement: “The PDP, without equivocation, reminds Hon Gbajabiamila that as a party, we reserve the right to form a parliamentary caucus as well as choose the leaders of our caucus, as it obtains in parliaments, all over the world and the House of Representatives under Gbajabiamila, as Speaker, cannot be an exception.
“The leadership of the House is aware that whereas members from minority parties decided on the Minority leadership, a party and its members have the right to form a caucus and select leaders of such caucus accordingly, without interference by the leadership of the House or members of other political parties in the legislature.
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“The PDP reminds the leadership of the House that our party had directed that the affairs of the PDP caucus be organized and managed by Hon Kingsley Chinda, Hon Yakubu Barde, Hon Chukwuma Onyema and Hon Muraina Ajibola.
“The PDP recognises the caucus roles of our members and they have the instructions of our party to do so.
“Our party, therefore, calls on the Speaker to respect our choice of leadership for the PDP Caucus in the House of Representatives. Our choice has not in any way contravened any rules or pose any threats to the statutory running of the House of Representatives.
“Gbajabiamila should, therefore, steer clear and bury the thoughts of punishing the loyal members of our party just because they are obedient to the decisions of the PDP.
“He should rather focus on giving the House of Representatives the much-needed leadership direction to proffer solutions to the myriads of economic and security challenges confronting our nation today instead of hounding our loyal members and meddling into the internal affairs of our party.”
