The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, on Tuesday said the decision of the leadership of the House of Representatives not to fill the vacant position of Majority Leader was an indication that his colleagues were optimistic that Alhassan Ado Doguwa would be re-elected again.
Oshiomhole said this when Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led APC members in National Assembly to pay him a solidarity visit in his Asorokoro office in Abuja.
Doguwa was re-elected at the re-run election conducted last Saturday to continue to represent the people of Doguwa/Tudunwada federal constituency of Kano state.
“Let me say that from the reaction of your colleagues, the Speaker was in Kano, the Deputy Leader, was also in Kano and it was for nothing that they chose not to fill that position because like members of your constituency who elected you, they were also waiting to re-elect you.
“I believe that God gave you a second chance. That the Speaker was in Kano means that he holds you in high esteem. They deliberately decided not to fill the vacancy and just like us, they were confident that the people of your constituency will return you to the House. I don’t think I should say more than that,” he said.
Oshiomhole, who described Doguwa as a loyal member of the party whose contribution to debates on the floor of the House had been of immense benefit to the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, renewed APC’s faith in the judiciary.
He dismissed the view that the APC was losing ground to the opposition due to the crises in some state chapters, stressing that Doguwa’s victory underlines the acceptability of the APC by the electorates in Kano state.
Governor Ganduje, while speaking earlier, said the visit was to present Doguwa’s Certificate of Return and his application to seek the position of Majority Leader again.
“We are here today to present to you the Certificate of Return of Alhassan Ado Doguwa who was also the House Leader. This certificate is very important to us because it is a certificate that is carrying two caps. One, it is carrying the cap for him to be the member of National Assembly and the other cap, he was the Majority Leader and now he is an applicant. By the grace of the Allah, our National Chairman I hereby present you the certificate,” he said.
Ganduje, who thanked Oshiomhole over the reception, said the APC retained two out of three House of Representatives’ seats and four House of Assembly seats during the rerun election.
Also speaking, Doguwa, who thanked Ganduje and Oshiomhole over the role they played in his re-election, expressed his loyalty to the party.
He pledged to take up the responsibilities of the House Majority Leader if considered again.
