A group of lawmakers drawn from various parties are heading to court over alleged proof of vote-buying and gross impunity by the Clerk of the National Assembly, Alhaji Sani Omolori.
Omolori, who supervised the June 11 election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the House of Representatives, is being accused of having condoned impunity among the lawmakers.
The spokesman of the new group, Honourable Mark Terseer Gbillah (PDP, Gwer West/Gwer East Federal Constituency, Benue state), in a statement to DAILY POST on Monday, said G-70 was an apolitical group of House members across party lines who are after truth, transparency and the protection of the independence of the legislature.
Making references to photographic images and video evidence being released to back up their claims, Gbillah asserted that they are only embarking on a principled struggle, adding that while the members have no personal grudges against any person or political party, they will not condone any illegitimacy in the election of the person or persons who will lead the House of Representatives.
“We condemn totally, the use of any form of financial inducement and systematic coercion to compel towards choosing a leader in a manner that totally destroys the sanctity and integrity of the House and the National Assembly as a whole,” the statement added.
“This is what we are fighting against and we are doing it for the good of democracy and for the good of our nation.
“We believe that if President Buhari himself truly preaches and believes in transparency and anti-corruption, then he should realize what his government and what whom he supported has done to become Speaker of the House.
“We will explore every legitimate means possible to ensure that justice is done and genuine democratic norms prevail.”
Alleging the prevalence of anti-democratic tendencies, impunity and vote-buying in the voting exercise that took place in the House of Representatives on June 11, he said that the newly-formed G-70 group of House members is seeking the nullification of the purported victory of Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila and Hon Ahmed Wase, adding that they are determined to tender relevant evidence towards ensuring that the entire exercise is nullified.
Emphasizing that the voting process confirmed previous alarm raised about likely buying of votes on a massive scale, he said that the G-70 is heading to court immediately to seek legal redress for what he described as an affront against democracy and the law.
The statement added, “This is the fallout of the manner in which the election of House Speaker and Deputy Speaker was conducted under an atmosphere that was rife with allegations of inducement and these have now been confirmed; for instance, we have evidence that many members were taking pictures of the ‘Members’ Green Card’ with specific serial numbers as given to those being induced to vote for Gbajabamila.
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