PDP yet to decide on National Assembly leadership

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said its leadership and elected federal legislators have not taken a stand on who to support for Senate and House of Representatives leadership positions.

Its position is predicated on reports suggesting that its members-elect in the House of Representatives have settled for a particular aspirant as Speaker.

But in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP said it was still consulting with its members-elect and no official position has been taken on the issue.

“This is particularly so as presiding officers positions are not the exclusive preserve of the ruling party or any other party for that matter, but the constitutional right of every elected lawmaker.

“The PDP has an array of elected lawmakers in both chambers, who are eminently qualified and popular among their colleagues, across the divide to hold office as presiding officers of the National Assembly, in line with Section 50 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended),” the statement reads.

Meanwhile, the senator representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Mohammed Ali Ndume, has said that the Northeast deserves an articulate representative as Senate President.

The senator, who is one of the leading candidates for Senate President said the Northeast had suffered huge devastations with property worth over N2trillion destroyed by insurgents.

Ndume who was in Lagos on Sunday for a parley with the media said there was need for an articulate candidate from the Northeast geo-political zone as a senate president to galvanise global support for the restoration of the North-East.

He said he was qualified to play that role, adding that his record in the National Assembly could attest to that.

Ndume said if given the opportunity, he would not compromise the independence of the legislature.

The lawmaker said his chances of becoming the next Senate president are bright, adding that he he enjoys robust relationship with his colleagues (senators-elect).

Ndume said he had been engaging his colleagues, assuring them that he wants to be President of Senate and Senators’ President.
 
Ndume maintained that God had been so kind to him as a “son of nobody that became somebody without knowing anybody”, adding that the onus is on him to reciprocate God’s favour by serving mankind.

“The 9th senate will do things differently. And that’s why I set out my nine-point agenda of what I want to do to reposition the senate.

On fears that the voting process could worked against him if the secret ballot system is jettisoned, he said: “The senate rules remains secret ballot and we will adhere strictly to that when we reconvene in June,” he said.