One of the key contenders for the speakership of the 8th House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara, gave indications on Thursday that he might not toe the zoning arrangement of the All Progressives Congress if it would not guarantee “fairness and justice.”

Dogara, who is from Bauchi State (North-East) is considered the main challenger to House Minority Leader, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila (Lagos State), in the race for the position.

For weeks, Gbajabiamila has been touted as the likely candidate for the speakership under an understanding allegedly reached within the APC’s circles to zone the seat to the South-West.

The party also reportedly agreed behind the scenes to allow the North-East, where Dogara hails from, to produce the Senate President.

But, on Thursday, Dogara came out clearly to say that the Senate and the House were two different chambers and that a decision taken in respect of one could not be imposed on the other.

The APC lawmaker spoke just as a new group, nicknamed The Patriots, emerged to demand that the candidate for the speakership must pass an “integrity test” as against an individual emerging on the basis of party zoning arrangement.

Dogara described the North-East as the poorest geo-political zone in the country that required the backing of other zones in the sharing of political offices.

He also stated that the reported prospect of the zone producing the senate president did not in any way affect his aspiration.

He addressed a news conference where he said, “We represent the aspirations of a zone that is the poorest in the country.

“There are candidates from other zones that already hold leadership positions in the APC, yet they are running for the position of Speaker. Why are questions not being asked in their own case?”

Dogara admitted that the APC must be passing through a difficult period in taking a position on the issue, but he advised the party to be guided aright so as not to hurt the feelings of members.

At least 22 members, including Peoples Democratic Party lawmakers, backed Dogara on Thursday as he spoke.

Among them were Chairman, House Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr. Zakari Mohammed (Kwara APC); Chairman, House Committee on Aviation, Mrs. Nkiruka Onyejeocha (Abia PDP); Adams Jagaba (Kaduna APC); Mr. Emmanuel Ekon (Akwa Ibom PDP); Binta Maigeri (Gombe PDP); Mr. Ezikiel Adaji (Benue PDP); Mr. Abubakar Kannike (Kwara APC); Mr. Linus Okorie (Ebonyi PDP); and Mr. Herman Hembe (Benue APC).

Dogara, a lawyer and third-timer, said his reason for joining the race was because “Change”, the APC’s slogan, to him, meant “simply to work.”

On its part, The Patriots, at its inaugural news briefing on Thursday, described itself as a “bi partisan legislative interest group” that was out to ensure that the candidate for the office was the very best among lawmakers.

The group also clarified that it was not out to support imposition of candidates by forces outside the National Assembly, but would vote based on the belief that the speaker passed an integrity test.

The convener of the group, Mr. Musa Serkin-Ada, said, “Our group deliberately focuses on both the election processes and quality of candidates, as opposed to business-as-usual groups that crowd around individual candidates wishing to contest for speakership and other positions.

“We are more interested in setting the parameters – principles, vision, mission, quality and commitment – of those who aspire to lead us, as opposed to supporting individuals in return for sharing the spoils of office.”

According to the group, one way of conducting the integrity test was to organise an elaborate debate for the contestants to tell members why they qualified to be speaker.

However, a member from Lagos State and Senator-elect, Mr. Solomon Olamilekan, claimed that Gbajabiamila already had close to “85 per cent support” of members for the speakership.

Olamilekan also claimed that “over 200 members” attended a meeting with Gbajabiamila on Wednesday where they gave him their full backing.

The Patriots claimed that it had members from APC, PDP, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Labour Party and Accord in its folds.