By DAPO AKINREFON
LAGOS—INDICATIONS emerged, yesterday, of plans by the leadership of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to give the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Dimeji Bankole, a soft landing over the alleged N10 billion scam levelled against him. Vanguard gathered that the Speaker is under pressure to indict two front runners for the Speaker and deputy speaker, Messrs Aminu Waziri Tambuwal and Emeka Ihedioha over the scandal.

A source who told Vanguard  that the plot was being allegedly perfected to prevent the Speaker from being quizzed by the EFCC, said: “As battle for the Speakership of the house hots up, Bankole is expected to appear before PDP leadership on Tuesday, May 31, 2011. And as a way of giving him (Bankole) a soft landing, he is expected to indict Tambuwal and Ihedioha.”

Vanguard learnt that at the closed door session, where the Speaker had previously briefed members of the House, these two names were not mentioned, adding that the game plan was to thwart the ambition of Tambuwal and Ihedioha so that “they will be arrested before being given the opportunity to explain themselves before the EFCC.”

It was also gathered that as a way of ensuring its candidate from the South west emerged as Speaker of the House of Representatives, PDP was expected to move against its members with cases before the tribunal.

The source said: “Another plot by the party is that those PDP members who have cases at the tribunal and fail to support the party’s choice from the South west, will find it difficult to win at the tribunal. Once you refuse to fall in line, the party will make it difficult to make your case scale through by saying your name was submitted in error. With that, such member will fail to reclaim his or her stolen mandate.”

It would be recalled that Bankole was supposed to be a guest of the anti-graft commission on Thursday, May 26, 2011 to clear the air over the alleged scandal.He was supposed to explain the allegation of corrupt practices levelled against him by civil society groups and some aggrieved lawmakers.The House had a rowdy session recently when Dino Melaye, one of the suspended members who was re-admitted, raised the alarm that the Speaker incurred N10 billion loan on behalf of the House without the knowledge of its members.