Dollar-for-vote scandal rocks NASS leadership tussle; security agents seal Complex

Some Senators and members of the House of Representatives are being offered between $50,000 and $100,000 to get their votes on Tuesday, “depending on the ‘weight’ of the lawmaker”, Freedom Online has learned.
Some who rejected $50,000 ‘as being too small’ were given $75,000 each on Monday night.
In the Senate, the two combatants for Nigeria’s number three seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are Senators Ahmed Lawan and Bukola Saraki.
In the House of Representatives, the two gladiators are Femi Gbajabiamila and Yakubu Dogara.
APC leadership is supporting Lawan and Gbajabiamila.
After an emergency meeting on Monday night, the PDP leadership directed its members in the National Assembly to cast their votes for Saraki and Dogara.
The Senate has 109 members and Saraki and Lawan will need, at least, 55 votes to become the President.
In the Lower Chamber with 360 members, Gbajabiamila and Dogara will need 181 votes to become Nigeria’s fourth most-powerful man.
Freedom Online learned that ‘the sharing points’ of the dollar to lawmakers are a particular suite in Sheraton Abuja Hotel, Abuja and a Guest House belonging to a South-West state.
The sharing started on Sunday, a day after the mock election which saw Lawan and Gbajabiamila as the APC candidates as Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives.
A source said President Muhammadu Buhari learnt about the scandal in Germany “and he was furious”.
“The meeting called for 9am on Tuesday before the inauguration of the 8th Assembly was to douse tension and distance himself (Buhari) from any monetary inducement because some of the schemers are using his name to bribe the lawmakers”.
Freedom Online learned that two former governors “with deep pockets” are involved “in the sharing”.
“Buhari’s initial reaction was to distance himself from the bribe-for-vote scandal but one of his aides told him that since the issue has not become a public knowledge, he should be silent about it so that the party’s image is not affected”
Freedom Online learned that some lawmakers are even collecting “from both sides”.
“Each party is insisting that you must write your name on a list before you collect but it doesn’t matter to some of the members. Many of them have promised to vote for Lawan and Saraki in the Senate and Gbajabiamila and Dogara in the House. They know that it is secret ballot so, nobody will know who they eventually vote for. If you happen to see the lists, you will see the names of many lawmakers on the list of those loyal to Lawan and Saraki and that of Gbajabiamila and Dogara”.
Meanwhile, security agents sealed the Assembly Complex on Tuesday morning.
Journalists and some workers were not allowed into the complex in the Three Arms Zone, Abuja.
One of the security agents was overheard saying “we are here for security reasons”.