The exercise to pre-pick the candidate who would occupy the office of Speaker of the Nigerian House of Representatives next session looks concluded by the All Progressives Party APC, the party with majority of elected Reps.
APC has 213 out of the 360 members of the House of Representatives. The APC’s meeting of its leadership with the members-elect to pick candidate for Speakership started at 10:00am.
Punch reports that those who signed the attendance register at the meeting were 183, while the total number of votes cast was 161.
Rep-elect, Femi Gbajabiamila emerged victorious by polling 154 votes to defeat his opponent, Yakubu Dogara, who got three votes.
Four votes were declared invalid by the returning officer, the APC National Vice -Chairman, North-East, Babachir Lawan .
But signs that the exercise would not be peaceful emerged when Dogara and 18 of his supporters walked out of the venue when it became apparent that the party was going ahead with the election despite their protest against it.