Power shift clamour to South negotiable, Adamu insists

Gbajabiamila promises Nigerians enduring Electoral Act

Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Reconciliation Committee, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has said the clamour for power shift to the south is negotiable by the political elite.

In an interview with The Guardian, he also faulted the notion held in certain quarters of an existing pact for power rotation between the North and the South.

Adamu, who was governor of Nasarawa State between 1999 and 2007, reiterated his stance that the choice of President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor must be made in tune with the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
BESIDES, the Speaker, House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, yesterday, assured that the Ninth Assembly would bequeath a better and acceptable Electoral Act to Nigerians.

He noted that no country has a perfect electoral system, adding that the federal legislature was making serious efforts to make electoral law conform to the nation’s peculiarities.

Gbajabiamila spoke when he played host to a team of the European Union (EU) delegation in Nigeria in Abuja, led by the head of mission, Ambassador Samuela Isopi, where he expressed satisfaction with the early passage of the Electoral Act (Amendment), which is to be transmitted soon to the President for his assent.

On gender participation in politics, Gbajabiamila said: “If you follow the Ninth House of Representatives, gender inclusion is one of our legislative agendas. We also try not to discriminate against men. In doing that, one of the innovations is to amend the Constitution to create an extra senatorial zone exclusively for women.”

He said the lower legislative chamber had done a lot in addressing the issue of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

While congratulating the new head of the mission on her appointment, the Speaker said: “I believe with a lot of collaboration, we can do a lot and greater things together.”

Earlier in her address, Isopi said the visit was to introduce herself properly, reiterating EU’s continued commitment to the strengthening of its partnership with Nigeria, the National Assembly and to formally announce the coming of a special mission later this month.