Buhari Losing Influence In Nigerian
Yakubu Dogara From Peoples Democratic Party Named House Speaker
Yakubu Dogara From Peoples Democratic Party Named House Speaker
Yakubu Dogara was elected Speaker of the House in Nigeria Tuesday after winning 182 votes over Femi Gbajabiamila, who picked up 174 votes and was backed by the ruling party. Dogara, a legal practitioner, will serve as speaker of the 8th legislature, local media reported.
Dogara became speaker despite the ruling All Progressive Congress
throwing its support behind Gbajabiamila. The rival Peoples Democratic
Party also succeeded in naming Nigerian Sen. Bukola Saraki as the new
Senate president on Tuesday. Saraki, a former member of the opposition
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was the only candidate nominated for the
top post. The Senate president is the third most powerful figure in the
country.
The tense House and Senate leadership votes suggest President Muhammadu
Buhari's coalition could be vulnerable to internal disputes and a future
attack from the Peoples Democratic Party, the Associated Press
reported. Buhari took office May 29.
The All Progressive Congress seized control of Nigeria's government in
March after winning control of the presidency, Senate and House. The
victory marked the first time the Peoples Democratic Party was forced
from power since the end of military rule in 1999.
Saraki, 52, was a two-term governor of Kwara state. He has helped
transform the region from a food importer to an exporter after importing
white Zimbabwean farmers to develop commercial agriculture in his
state.
Dogara represents the Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa-Balewa federal constituency of
Bauchi State. He has served in the Federal House of Representatives
since 2007. He is widely known in Nigerian politics for a 2013 bill he
sponsored that sought to make it easier to remove the president and vice
president from office on charges of misconduct.
The Peoples Democratic Party lost votes in the recent elections after
government officials were unable to stop violent attacks from the Boko
Haram militant group. Buhari pledged during his inaugration speech to
wipe out the Islamist group.
“Boko Haram is a typical example of small fires causing large fires," he
said, adding that the group was “a mindless, godless group who are as
far away from Islam as one can think of.”