The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has condemned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) decision to investigate its lawmakers that voted against the party’s position during elections of the National Assembly leadership.
The APC slammed the main opposition party for allegedly violating the principles of secret balloting, saying it amounted to double speak.
The party national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, said attempts at probing the lawmakers’ decision to vote their conscience rather than party position was violated basic principles of democracy and the secret ballot.
Oshiomhole wondered why the party, which opposed open ballot system of voting, suddenly changed its mind and decided to investigate its members that voted against PDP candidates in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Oshiomhole, who announced that the party has settled for Alhassan Ado Doguwa as the majority leader of the House of Representatives, stated this when he received Kano APC delegation led by the state deputy governor, Nasiru Gawuna, who had visited to declare support for Hon Ado Doguwa as the House of Representatives majority leader.
“The PDP that was calling for secret ballot because they didn’t want people to know how they voted are now the ones conducting enquiries to find out who voted for whom. That is a complete violation of the essence of secret ballot.
“The idea of secret is that nobody should know who voted for whom. Now, the PDP is going down in history as a party that seeks to investigate how people voted in a secret ballot and that is a gross violation of the most basic principle of democracy. That is why we are better and different and I am very proud of all of you.”
On the house’s majority leader, he said he would convey the decision to Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila to make the announcement when the House reconvenes today.
He justified the decision to settle for Doguwa saying it was based on the outcome of a broad consultation with members of the house and stakeholders of the party.
He said the APC opted for Doguwa in appreciation of the immense contribution of Kano state to the victory of the APC in the recently held general elections, even as he urged Doguwa to carry house members along in the scheme of things.
Meanwhile, Gawuna, who stood in for the state governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, expressed gratitude to the APC adding that Kano state would continue to contribute its quota to the party.
