NASS Leadership: Dissent over APC’s zoning arrangement festers

• NDYC Urges Tinubu To Steer Clear Of Senate President’s Selection
• It’s My Turn To Be Speaker, Wase Insists
• Our Coalition Will Win, Says Betara
• Shettima Parleys Pro-Abass Joint Task Coalition
• Senator-elect Advocates Transparent Process 

The President-elect, Bola Tinubu, has been urged to steer clear of the selection of the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 10th National Assembly.

This was as the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, yesterday, met behind closed doors with members of the Joint Task-10th Assembly Coalition in support of the speakership bid of Dr. Abass Tajudeen.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase, yesterday formally declared his aspiration for the position of Speaker at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, insisting that it is his turn to occupy the position.

Members of the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness led by Nwambu Gabriel, at a press conference in Abuja, warned against the imposition of the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

The rights group made up of 92 civil societies organisations called on Tinubu to toe the line of honour that produced him as the candidate of the party and consequently the President-elect by creating a level playing ground for the legislature to exercise their function as provided by the Constitution.

The group also urged Tinubu to be weary of some anti-democratic forces around him who are only trying to cajole him into interfering in a function exclusively provided for the legislators by the Nigerian Constitution.

“These merchants of anti-democratic forces are hiding under the guise of Mr. President-elect to do their own personal and selfish biddings which is inimical to our nations democracy,” the group noted.

It added: “For those who crafted the word democracy and indeed Separation of Powers, the idea is to have an independent arm of government called the legislature for the purpose of providing ‘checks and balances’ in such a manner to avoid the concentration of powers in one body as this would lead to abuse of powers and consequently degenerate to dictatorship, tyranny and operation.

“Now, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 As Amended) is superior to every other document including the Senate and House Rules respectively. Section 50 (1a) and (1b) is simple, unambiguous and clear.

“This states that ‘there shall be (a) a President and a Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves; and (b) a Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.

“This simply implies that any other person or persons or group of persons nominating the principal officers of both Houses other than the representatives themselves is null, void and unconstitutional, therefore amounts to an aberration, which tantamount to usurping the powers of the legislators thereby exposing the fragile democracy of Nigeria to jeopardy.

“We cannot be talking about a ‘New Nigeria,’ where things are done the right way and we are still seeing the imposition of candidates in our legislators principal offices. If the President-elect wants to win the support and interest of Nigerians, then he should be seen to be doing things differently from the old ways to a new Nigeria.”

Corroborating this view, members of the Niger Delta Youth Congress (NDYC) yesterday said the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should not impose the leadership of the 10th National Assembly on the lawmakers, saying that the responsibility must be given to the lawmakers themselves.

Besides, NDYC stressed further that the principal offices of the National Assembly should not be subjected to regional zoning, noting that competence of the incoming leadership of the National Assembly must be the overriding factor in order to advance democracy in the country.

The National Coordinator of NDYC, Comrade Israel Uwejeyan, said in a statement: “We advocate that the members of the National Assembly are mature and not children, hence they should be left to exercise their autonomy in selecting their own leaders.

“We contend that the esteemed members of the National Assembly possess the necessary wisdom and maturity to make informed choices regarding leadership. They are well equipped to identify capable leaders who can effectively address the challenges facing our nation. By granting them the independence to choose their leaders, we foster an environment that encourages independent thinking and political growth.”

The parley with the Vice President-elect, held at his Asokoro residence, was aimed at shoring up support for Abass, who is the preferred choice of the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the ruling All Progressives congress (APC).

The parley is coming on the heels of the resolve by the Sen. Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) to reconsider the controversial zoning arrangement of principal office positions of the National Assembly opposed by some aspirants.

However, the planned move by the APC to wade into the issue did not deter Wase from formally declaring his aspiration for the position.

On hand to give Wase a morale booster were other leading Speakership aspirants comprising Muktar Betara, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, Sada Soli, Aminu Sani Jaji and Miriam Onouha.

Wase, who unveiled his 10-point agenda at the event, promised to consolidate on the inroads recorded by the lower legislative chamber in the 9th Assembly.

Wase insisted that the seat of the speakership of the lower legislative chamber should be ceded to him based on his meritorious service to the nation over the years.

Speaking while unveiling his aspiration, he noted that he deserves the ‘Emilokan’ treatment that led to the election of Tinubu in the recently held presidential poll.

Recalling how he was prevailed on to step down in the race for the current Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila in 2019, he said he has the wherewithal to oversee the House effectively.

He called on the APC leadership to adhere to the principles of fairness and justice by ceding the speakership seat to the North Central geo-political zone as enshrined in Section 14 of the 1999 constitution of the country.

He pledged a vibrant legislature that would stand the test of time in the comity of all nations.

“I am the experienced hand the House needs. I am a lover of all people; a man his voice is heard. I plead for your support by electing me as the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives,” Wase declared.

One of the leading aspirants that graced the occasion, Betara, assured that their group of aggrieved aspirants would surely produce the next Speaker of the House.

The Borno-born lawmaker stated that members of his coalition would arrive at a consensus candidate amicably.

Betara, a fourth termer, who chairs the House Committee on Appropriation, noted: “For us, we formed this group because we are opposed to the zoning arrangement of the party. We are not fighting and we would not fight. We are in support of a consensus candidate.

“We can pick the candidate from among ourselves but if we all sit down and decide on it. I assure all of you it is only one person that God would choose to be Speaker. I assure you that we are not going to have any issue. We are going to agree to support one of us as speaker.”

For Sada Soli, there is need for fairness, inclusivity and respect for diversity in arriving at the choice of the Speaker.

The Katsina-born lawmaker called on Members-elect to strive to protect the sanctity and freedom of the institution of the legislature.

“Anything short of that, the consequences would be dire. We must drop all personal interest geared towards producing a Speaker who would not take directive for some personal aggrandisement; a speaker who would tell you as it is. Lawmaking is a very serious business. It is beyond personal interests,” he said.

Gagdi, who spoke in the same vein, warned against a rubber stamp Assembly that would take directives from forces outside the hallowed chamber of the National Assembly.

“We are determined to protect democracy. The House of Representatives is the House of the Nigerian people. By the time we are working, no leadership of the party would be there. Only us would be doing the serious business of lawmaking.”

Onuoha, on her part, reiterated her opposition to injustice in the polity while calling for inclusivity of women and other vulnerable groups that form over half the population of the country.

“I stand with the coalition, indivisibility of Nigeria. Legislature is independent. Members-elect would rise up to the challenge to ensure the independence of the legislature,” she added.

Meanwhile, the Senator-elect for Delta South Senatorial District, Chief Joel-Onowakpo Thomas, has called for a credible process that is backed by the majority of members in the choice of the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

Joel-Onowakpo, speaking on the ongoing leadership tussle for principal officers in an interview, assured Nigerians that the 10th National Assembly would not be rubber stamp.

He said he was not aware that any individual had been endorsed, saying: “I am not aware, I have heard it just the way you said it. To me, like my name, ‘Thomas,’ I consider this as mere speculation.

“I want to beg the press not to give the president-elect unnecessary baggage. The issue about the leadership of NASS is a sensitive one.

“I will expect that whoever emerges should be from a process. It is the duty of the candidates to earn the respect and trust of their colleagues. These colleagues should be able to take ownership of the leadership. Doing anything to contrary would amount to the president-elect taking side.

“So, if asked, I would say that the president-elect, Senator Ahmed Tinubu, has not endorsed anybody to my knowledge. The field is free for all who are qualified to aspire.

“The last thing that this NASS won’t want to be associated with is that they are rubber stamp. Even if we want to be rubber stamp, I am pretty sure that we will do it with some level of dignity. Therefore, let the best man win.”

Joel-Onowakpo, who said he was not supporting any candidate at the moment, having just returned from vacation abroad, added that he was still accessing his options and would finally align with the person who will support his vision in developing his senatorial district and give the senate the best of leadership.

“I have only one vote; I have no control of other senators’ votes, and I intend to use that vote wisely,” he stated.

The chartered accountant and administrator said his vision is to serve his constituents to the best of his ability and to give them the best of representation, adding that he wants them to feel the impact of governance and enjoy visible dividend of democracy.

“I want to leave the office better than I met it. This is why during the campaigns, I anchored my manifesto on the acronym, ‘DUE,’ which stands for Drastic Infrastructure Development, Unique Empowerment Initiatives and Effective Legislation. Being one of the senatorial districts that lay the golden egg, in terms of revenue generation to the treasury of this country, Delta South deserves more than crumbs. I believe the time has come to accord Delta South what is ‘DUE’ her.”

In a related development, a coalition of youth groups in the South-South, yesterday, called on all aspirants from the southern part of the country to immediately withdraw for aspirants from the North West, advising that aspirants must look beyond their political ambition to issues that would entrench unity and mutual respect among Nigerians.

In a statement issued and circulated to media offices in Abuja, the South South Youth Assembly argued that because the South-South and South East had produced the Senate president in the past, they are not supposed to contest in this dispensation.

It noted that the position should be reserved for the North West, which not only produced the highest votes for APC in the last presidential election but also had never produced the Senate President in the past.

The statement which was signed by the group’s leader, Emmanuel Nkrubre, equally urged all aspirants from the North West to reconcile their differences and allow the former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, to emerge as the next Senate President.