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In a last minute push to enforce party supremacy and obtain absolute compliance from its newly elected members at the House of Representatives, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its anointed speakership candidate, Femi Gbajabiamila, may have resolved to wield the big stick against any new member-elect who votes contrary to their expectations tomorrow.
This is as the APC and Gbajabiamila’s camp have also devised fresh plans to get especially new members-elect to vote for him using a vote monitoring device to be issued to them prior to the D-Day.
According to sources close to the camp, the plan is to issue what is called a green card to all members upon which they are expected to record serial numbers of their ballot papers with a view to indicating which direction they voted.
“The cards are for the members to pen down the serial number of the ballot papers with which they voted on the card”, one of the new members-elect from the North East who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
According to him, the essence is to keep track of the number and voting behaviour of the fresh members and restrain them from voting any other candidate during the election.

There are indications that the measures are aimed at reining in new members who may be tempted to vote for candidates of their choice.
“The card would eventually be submitted to designated party leaders afterwards for scrutiny and appropriate sanctions”, he added.
The two camps reportedly devised the plan following their inability to get the National Assembly management to tamper with the voting system from secret to open balloting.
It would be recalled that the National Assembly management had last Friday stated that it would be sticking with the standing rules of the House, which stipulate secret balloting.
As it stands, the APC has a total of 119 new members-elect, with the North West leading the table with 39 members, while the South West follows closely with 33.

Others are the North Central with 22, South South, six, leaving the South East at the rear with just one new member-elect.
It would also be recalled that Gbajabiamila has consistently remarked that the new members were his backbone.
At a meeting with a section of fresh members on Saturday in Abuja, Gbajabiamila reechoed his confidence in them for victory.
He said: “Thank you new members. If you know me very well, you know my heart is with the new members. Let me quickly say, I have never seen such love, such support inside one group. God bless you.
“It has been a long journey but we are almost at the end. For this last three days, myself and Hon. Wase will be running and giving it the last push like our lives depended on it. We can see the finishing line”, he said.
In spite of this hurdle, many new members who have pledged to vote their mind, insisted that no amount of intimidation will make them change their position.
Another member, a returning one, told Daily Independent that the APC may go for the jugular based on the role it played in their electoral victories.
The party is said to have given each House of Representatives’ candidate in the election the sum of N10 million and senatorial candidates, N20 million.
And while their loyalty to the party subsists, many of them also have pre-election cases for which they would need the party’s support to win in courts.
But for now, it remains a battle of wits among all camps, as aspirants have continued to engage fresh members for their votes.
(Daily Independent)
This is as the APC and Gbajabiamila’s camp have also devised fresh plans to get especially new members-elect to vote for him using a vote monitoring device to be issued to them prior to the D-Day.
According to sources close to the camp, the plan is to issue what is called a green card to all members upon which they are expected to record serial numbers of their ballot papers with a view to indicating which direction they voted.
“The cards are for the members to pen down the serial number of the ballot papers with which they voted on the card”, one of the new members-elect from the North East who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
According to him, the essence is to keep track of the number and voting behaviour of the fresh members and restrain them from voting any other candidate during the election.

There are indications that the measures are aimed at reining in new members who may be tempted to vote for candidates of their choice.
“The card would eventually be submitted to designated party leaders afterwards for scrutiny and appropriate sanctions”, he added.
The two camps reportedly devised the plan following their inability to get the National Assembly management to tamper with the voting system from secret to open balloting.
It would be recalled that the National Assembly management had last Friday stated that it would be sticking with the standing rules of the House, which stipulate secret balloting.
As it stands, the APC has a total of 119 new members-elect, with the North West leading the table with 39 members, while the South West follows closely with 33.

Others are the North Central with 22, South South, six, leaving the South East at the rear with just one new member-elect.
It would also be recalled that Gbajabiamila has consistently remarked that the new members were his backbone.
At a meeting with a section of fresh members on Saturday in Abuja, Gbajabiamila reechoed his confidence in them for victory.
He said: “Thank you new members. If you know me very well, you know my heart is with the new members. Let me quickly say, I have never seen such love, such support inside one group. God bless you.
“It has been a long journey but we are almost at the end. For this last three days, myself and Hon. Wase will be running and giving it the last push like our lives depended on it. We can see the finishing line”, he said.
In spite of this hurdle, many new members who have pledged to vote their mind, insisted that no amount of intimidation will make them change their position.
Another member, a returning one, told Daily Independent that the APC may go for the jugular based on the role it played in their electoral victories.
The party is said to have given each House of Representatives’ candidate in the election the sum of N10 million and senatorial candidates, N20 million.
And while their loyalty to the party subsists, many of them also have pre-election cases for which they would need the party’s support to win in courts.
But for now, it remains a battle of wits among all camps, as aspirants have continued to engage fresh members for their votes.
(Daily Independent)
