Buhari’s meeting with APC’s NASS factions deadlocked

• Oshiomhole, Bagudu meet President
• Facts on Senate Rules alteration emerge
• I’ll not resign, Deputy Speaker, Lasun vows 

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari’s meeting yesterday with elected All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers aimed at finding a solution to the National Assembly crisis may still not have done the magic.

The two chambers resume today. The President had earlier, during a 30-minute breakfast show “Good Morning Nigeria,” on the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), Abuja, expressed grave concern about the lingering crisis of leadership in the National Assembly, which has delayed the effective take-off of the administration.

The situation, according to him, calls for serious concern from, not only members of the ruling APC, but well-meaning Nigerians. Optimism as to the possible resolution of the crisis began when governors of Edo and Kebbi states, Adams Oshiomhole and Abubakar Atiku Bagudu told correspondents, after their meeting with the President, that the crisis in the Senate would not degenerate beyond the level at which it is.

But even as what form the resolution of the House’s leadership crisis may take remains unknown, Deputy Speaker, Yusuf Lasun, has vowed never to resign as being suggested by some interests.

In the meantime, those loyal to Senate President Bukola Saraki, known as ‘Like Minds Senators yesterday, expressed displeasure over the petition sent to the police by the Unity Forum group on alleged forgery of the Senate Rules. This development came just as it was learnt that the Senate had concluded plans to appoint its committee chairmen at its sitting today.

Meanwhile, details have emerged on what made the controversial alteration of the Senate Rules, inevitable. Both factions were at the meeting with Buhari , including House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, his deputy, Yusuf Lasun as well as Femi Gbajabiamila and his supporters .

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, APC National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, National Vice Chairman, South West of the party, Segun Oni and National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Lai Mohammed were also at the meeting.

Although Dogara and Gbajabiamila had expressed confidence before today’s resumption that the crisis would be resolved, their foot soldiers have been however singing different tunes.

Though that meeting failed to reach a compromise on the thorny issue of sharing of key positions in the House, the lawmakers left the new banquet venue of the parley with the President for an undisclosed venue for another round of talks where they hoped to resolve the contentious issues before the resumption today.

Major parties in the dispute are, however, in agreement that Buhari admonished them to go and sort themselves out, noting that he had decided not to be seen as supporting any side, but asked them to take the party interest into consideration in taking their decisions on their leadership.

Emerging from the meeting which lasted about 40 minutes, Gbajabiamila, Oyegun and Dogara expressed confidence that before the commencement of the sitting today, all the issues would have been ironed out. Gbajabiamila later told journalists that the meeting dwelt extensively on party supremacy, adding that before the end of the day, Nigerians would be briefed on the decision reached.

Oyegun while sharing Gbajabiamila’s optimism said. “You will be very surprised that a lot was achieved in 20 minutes. I have a feeling in another three or four hours and by tomorrow, we will have come to a compromise and have good news for the nation.”

Dogara, in his own reaction, said: ‘‘I have always stood firmly by the party and like my chairman has just explained, we go to do consultations with the party and I am sure sooner than later, we will have good news for Nigerians.”

The Oshiomhole peace panel was said to have been told that the Unity Forum senators frustrated the peace move when they petitioned the police over an internal matter of the Senate. ‎

A senator described police investigation into the matter which could have received a political solution as an attempt to distract the Upper Chamber from its legislative responsibilities. The frustration on reconciling the two Senate camps came to the open as leaders of the Unity Forum including Ahmed Lawal, Barnabas Germade‎ and George Akume were said to have been absent from the meeting.

Why we met President, by Oshiomhole Oshiomhole said after talks with the warring senators on Sunday evening, he and Bagudu decided to meet and brief the President on the outcome of their meetings ahead of the House resumption today. “

We have come today to report to the President what transpired at the meeting and make few suggestions to him and I think for me there is light, as they say, at the end of the tunnel.

Facts on Senate Rules alteration emerge Inquiries made from the political leadership and bureaucracy of the National Assembly revealed that the decision to effect changes in the Senate Standing Orders 2015(as amended) was in line with the tradition set in 1999 where the management prepared the Rule books for the Senate and the House.

“What the National Assembly management simply did was more or less a draft of the Rule Book which the new Senate has the power to adopt entirely or amend in the course of the session,” a National Assembly source disclosed‎.

According to the source, an officer in the secretariat of one of the Senate standing committees: “The leadership was covered by precedence in printing the 2015 Orders.

The Rule Book that has been amended by the different chambers since 1999 were written in 1998 by the management of the National Assembly, based on international best practice and the rule books of national Assemblies of countries like Canada, Australia, Germany, United States and the United Kingdom.‎

He continued: “What was presented to the lawmakers was actually a draft Rule Book and it was meant to be adopted by the Senate. The Senate adopted it on June 24, when the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki hit the gavel on it.

I’ll never resign, Deputy Speaker, Lasun vows Lasun, who said his emergence was the outcome of an election and not appointment, said the Gbajabiamila camp was only seeking to “reap from where it does not sow,” adding that the pressure being mounted on him to resign and create room for Gbajabiamila amounts to cheating the people of Ilobu whom he said had contributed tremendously to the growth of the APC in Osun State.