The national leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said it is embarking on persuasive means of reaching some level of consensus on the next leadership of the 10th National Assembly.
But the opposition parties are not living anything to chance as they also announced plan to contest for both the House Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
APC’s plan
Speaking with newsmen shortly after a meeting of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) Wednesday in Abuja, APC National Chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu, said the party would consult widely, especially with the President-elect, before reaching a decision on zoning of the National Assembly leadership.
When asked about the zoning arrangement the party had settled for, Adamu said: “That is not what today’s meeting is all about.
“When we do the zoning meeting and we don’t just go alone as a party, zoning is to take along the person who has the mandate of this country, the president-elect, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, we want to take him along. He travelled after the election and he came back only last week and we have to carry him along.
“And we cannot stop those who are ambitious or zoning interest, or individual interest, we cannot deny them and as long as that is there, we have to find a way, persuasively of reaching some level of consensus. That is what we are working on. It is not a one-day affair.”
Also corroborating the national chairman’s position on the outcome of the meeting, APC National Publicity Secretary Barrister Felix Morka said the NWC meeting looked at some internal matters, including plan by an NWC member to take the party’s leadership to court.
APC National Vice Chairman in North-west, Salihu Moh Lukman, had dragged the national chairman and the national secretary to court over alleged breach of constitution.
Lukman is asking the court to compel the Adamu-led NWC to convene meetings of the party’s statutory organs and render financial account.
But speaking on the matter, the APC spokesman said: “Amongst all of the issues discussed at the meeting, we looked at some internal and domestic housekeeping matters with a colleague (Lukman) who has expressed his concerns about something he believes the party should be doing.
“We deliberated completely about it. And as we speak, a committee that was set up to complete that conversation is in progress right now. So, there is a meeting that is going on that I am supposed to be part of to fully rectify that discussion and offer final recommendations on that subject.
“But I am happy to report as the Chairman just indicated. The party stands completely united behind the leadership of His Excellency, the National Chairman of our party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu. And we are all standing together. Our colleague, who has concern, is being looked into. And I think in due course, we will have very specific conclusions of those discussions. We are good on this question.”
Opposition parties
In a related development, the opposition parties including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Young Peoples Party (YPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and the All Progressives Grand Alliance(APGA), have also concluded plan to sponsor candidates for the position of the speaker and the deputy for the 10th House of Representatives, has collectively resolved to join in the speakership race.
The caucuses of the minority parties also said they were raising an 11-man committee to help shop among them, a candidate to contest in the race.
As a tradition, the party in majority of members-elect has always produced the presiding officers of both chambers of the National Assembly.
Rising from a meeting Tuesday night, the minority caucuses announced their resolve to take a shot at the House’ top job.
On a communiqué at the end of their meeting, they said: “To Contest the office of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representative of the National Assembly, and to set up an eleven-man Committee to scout for a credible and acceptable candidate that would vie for those offices, and then actively seek the unification of Nigerians along ethno-religious lines.”
“The Greater Majority with more than 180 elected members (being over 50% of the elected member) will remain one indivisible coalition during the 10th National Assembly, with the interest of the country as its driving force.
“That the greater Majority of the 10” National Assembly will be continually guided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with the collective interest of Nigerians being its major concern.
“To assure Nigerians not to lose hope due to the country’s current unpleasant situation, including the disunity plaguing the nation, which is the direct consequence of APC’s misrule and that the Greater majority of the incoming 10th National assembly will remedy these problems as a matter of priority.
“The Great majority will continue to unify the coalition of opposition parties so that it can be an effective check on the ruling party in order to safeguard the rule of law,” the caucuses said in the communiqué signed by the convener, Hon. Fredrick Agbedi.
Doguwa announces bid
Meanwhile, the House Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, has officially joined the race to contest the speakership of the Green Chamber, saying ‘it’s my turn.’
Doguwa, who is the oldest serving member from the North-west zone in the House and Leader of the North-west APC Caucus in the House, recently got reelected for the fifth term.
Speaking Wednesday in Abuja during his public declaration, the veteran legislator promised to be the speaker that would see through the implementation of the Renewed Hope 2023-Action Plan for a Better Nigeria anchored by the President-elect Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Doguwa said his mission is “to strengthen the role of Parliaments towards effective representation while restoring the public confidence and participation in governance by way of facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and evaluating strategies for public involvement in governance and government business. To ensure that the House conducts its business in a transparent and accountable manner, where every member of the House is held responsible and accountable by the people he represents.”
Flanked by some members-elect, the speakership aspirant said he had consulted widely and been approached by many Nigerians, mostly his colleagues who urged him to declare his intention to contest for the House’ top job.
He said: “They believe I am among the qualified candidates for the job, not just because I am deserving, but because I have the capacity and experience to deliver on the expectations of millions of Nigerians who believe that our democracy must be led by competent and experienced leaders.
“I am a strong and committed party man and have stated it categorically clear in other fora that because of my absolute loyalty to the party, and my unflinching respect for party supremacy, my ambition will be predicated only on the condition that the party zones the speakership position to the Northwest Zone which is my immediate constituency.
“I have realized that it is necessary to heed the call of the people who believe in my capacity to seek the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. I am committed to working with my colleagues and all Nigerians to deliver on their expectations and to preside over the house to the best of my ability in the overall interest of the people.”
Going down the memory, Doguwa said: “I have paid my dues; it is time to reward my stewardship to both the parliament and the nation. Kindly permit me to take you a little down memory lane. In 2011-2015, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had majority in the House and controlled the leadership in that dispensation while Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila was nominated by the South-west Caucus as their Minority Leader.
“From 2015-2019 when our party the All Progressives Congress (APC) had majority in the House; it was only natural that the minority leader transits to Majority Leadership position. If you will recall then, the moment this convention was proposed, I personally agreed to step down from the Majority Leader position which I was earlier tipped for and settled for the Chief Whip position to give room for Rt. Hon Femi Gbajiabiamila to assume the position of Majority Leader.
“Fast forward to 2019-2023 9th Assembly, in keeping faith with the convention of the house, when the Speakership position was zoned to the Southwest, it was only natural that my brother and good friend Rt. Hon Femi Gbajabiamila the then Majority Leader was the only one adopted for the Speakership position, the rest is now history.
“My dear colleagues, ladies and gentlemen, there is a lot to learn from this brief narrative. Our superlative Speaker has been in the house since 2003 till date and rose through the ranks to become what he is today. We cannot sweep under the carpet the cognate legislative experience, requisite parliamentary background and interpersonal relationship with his colleagues developed and nurtured over his almost 20years sojourn in the house as being manifested in his leadership style and prowess in the 9th Assembly.”
He promised to leave no stone unturned to galvanize the support of the House to ensure the actualisation of the laudable programs and policies of the President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration if given the opportunity to lead the 10th House of Representatives.
“I plead with my colleagues from the zone to extend to me as a privilege NOT BY RIGHT the same GBAJABIAMILA treatment because as the saying goes, what is good for the goose is also good for the gander,” Doguwa said.
The lawmaker further said: “My tenure will rekindle hope, answer many unanswered questions, and uphold all the ideals that this House is charged by the Constitution to preserve and protect. I will ensure justice for all, domestic tranquility, promote the general welfare of all members, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity so that children born today and those yet unborn will live into the next century and our decisions will determine their future.
“We shall promote the freedom of press and grant unfettered access to the press and the public in all our deliberations to the extent that the law permits.”
