APC NWC, lawmakers-elect meet today over N'Assembly

National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Lai Mohammed

There are strong indications that the All Progressives Congress National Working Committee will on Thursday (today) direct its National Assembly members-elect to pick consensus candidates for the senate presidency and the speakership of the House of Representatives.

It was reliably gathered on Wednesday in Abuja that the issue of leadership of the eighth National Assembly would be a part of the agenda of the APC NWC’s meetings with senators-elect and their counterparts for the House.

A top member of the NWC, who confided in The PUNCH, said that the decision to pick consensus candidates was part of efforts to prevent the opposition Peoples Democratic Party from controlling the eighth National Assembly.

But a key APC members-elect who learnt of the development   on Wednesday feared that failure to agree on consensus candidates could further divide his colleagues and give the PDP an opportunity to play a major role in determining who would emerge as the speaker and the senate president on Tuesday.

It was learnt that the opposition PDP had directed its members to vote against anybody picked as a consensus candidate by the APC lawmakers.

The APC National Publicity Secretary,   Lai Mohammed, had in a statement on Tuesday, said the party’s National Working Committee would hold separate meetings with senators-elect and their House counterparts .

Already, battles for the speakership and the senate presidency intensified on Wednesday   with candidates reaching out to those who had arrived in Abuja for Thursday’s meetings.

The election of the eighth National Assembly leaders will take place on June 9.

Bukola Saraki   and Ahmad Lawan   are contesting the senate presidency while the race for the speakership is mainly between the House Minority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila   and   Yakubu Dogara.

Senator Adamu Aliero (Kebbi State) had in a statement on Tuesday said the North-West   had “not given a blanket support to Saraki.”

On his part, the Coordinator of the Like Minds Senators-elect, Dino Melaye, cautioned the APC NWC against too much interference in the affairs of the senate.

Melaye said, “The NWC is there to offer advice and not to determine those who will contest leadership positions on the floor of the senate. The constitution of Nigeria and the rules of the Senate are clear on how a senate president could emerge.”

The APC National Chairman,   John Odigie-Oyegun, had after the Tuesday meeting told journalists that the process leading to the election of the principal officers of the National Assembly would not lead to a crisis.

”There will be no crisis, I want to give you that assurance. We are very conscious of the fact that the National Assembly is the separate arm of government and the constitution provides that they are the ones responsible for electing their own officers, all we have to do is provide for them a conducive environment of doing just that,” he had said

It was, however, learnt that the opposition PDP had started moving against the APC.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, and a senator-elect,   Peter Nwaoboshi, on Wednesday denied a report that the Senate President, Senator David Mark, would re-contest his post.

Metuh told journalists in Abuja on Wednesday that the concern of the PDP at the moment was to form a credible opposition party to offer alternatives and options to Nigerians.

He also said that the party would not criticise the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari for now, but   allow it to settle down.

The PDP spokesman said this issue was not part of the issues raised and discussed at the party’s retreat which was held for elected members of the party in Port Harcourt early this week.

Metuh said, “The PDP decided to react to the issue of contest for Senate president and deputy Senate President in the National Assembly. We have been bedevilled with stories of PDP’s position on the issue of the contest of senate presidency.

“The party has decided to inform Nigerians that the PDP has no candidate for the position of Senate President and deputy Senate President.”

The PDP spokesman added that what was important to the party was “how we can form a credible opposition party to offer alternatives and options to Nigerians on the policies and programmes of the ruling party.”

According to him, “On the issue of National Assembly, we believe senators are mature, experienced and exposed and hold mandate of their people and we believe that election for Senate president and deputy Senate President should be left for our party members to decide on their own; the PDP has no candidate for the Senate President and deputy Senate President.

“We have made it clear, our position is a formidable opposition to handle alternatives and options of the ruling party.

“We believe from what has happened to us in the past, especially in the House of Representatives, they have shown in the National Assembly that they are capable of taking decisions on their own, what happened last time was not what you say was not the decision of the party in majority, so we have learnt from it, we will not dabble in the affairs of the National Assembly.

“They are in charge of the country right now and believe their visions and programmes and policy; time should be given to them to come up before you can start to make a critic. We don’t want to be crying or making noise fervently, the issue is that the success of President Buhari is the success of entire Nigeria and progress of our democracy.”

Nwaoboshi, however, said that the PDP senators would support Saraki.

The senator-elect insisted that the PDP had through its Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, said none of its members would contest the Senate President position.

Nwaoboshi,   a former chairman of the PDP in Delta State, said, “The newspapers’ publications, accusing PDP and Mark of attempting to divide the party over Senate Presidency tussle are mere speculation that does not hold any truth.

“The APC should face its internal crisis and stop chasing shadows. The PDP has no intention of contesting alongside APC Senators.”

In the House, the Chairman, House Committee on Finance,   Abdulmumin Jibrin, on Wednesday withdrew from the contest for the speakership of the 8th House of Representatives.

In doing so, Jibrin, a member of the APC from Kano State, said he had declared support for Dogara.

Dogara, who is the Chairman, Committee on House Services, is also a member of the APC and hails from Bauchi State.

Jibrin ‘s decision on Wednesday followed a similar move by four other contestants, who had since stepped down to back Gbajabiamila.

The four are Mohammed Monguno, Pally Iriase, Goni Bukar and   Yusuf Lasun.

The election will take place on June 9.

Giving reasons why he stepped down, Jibrin claimed that he wanted to diffuse the tension the electioneering had created among members and build a stable House to support President Muhammadu Buhari.

Incidentally, Jibrin a few days back attempted to form an alliance with Gbajabiamila so that he (Jibrin) could run as his deputy.

The alliance never took off, owing to alleged differences between him and Gbajabiamila.

But on Wednesday Jibrin showered Dogara with praises, describing him as the honest, trustworthy, straightforward and disciplined contestant.

However, the Gbajabimaila Speakership Secretariat said it was “confident of victory,” and not bothered by the action of Jibrin.

The secretariat called on Jibrin to mention the supporters that he claimed to have.

It said, “This is belated. Gbajabiamila has gone very far in the race and he is no longer looking back.

“If Jibrin has supporters, let him name just three.”

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