Sign of imminent trouble over method of voting in the election of presiding officers at both chambers of National Assembly has emerged.
Principal officers of the federal legislature will be elected Tuesday (tomorrow).
This is even as sources within the Presidency said the Clerk to the National Assembly (CNA) , Alhaji Mohammed Sani-Omolori, has been directed by President Muhammadu Buhari to stick to existing rules on conduct of the election.
It’s open voting –Omo Agege
Stoking the fire for such trouble Saturday, Senator Ovie Omo- Agege (APC Delta Central) , told journalists in an interview that the 2015 standing rules which contains secret voting method will not be allowed to be used for election of both the president and deputy president of the 9th Senate .
According to him, the 2015 rule book used by the 8th Senate was contentious as far as the rule on voting method was concerned, upon which allegation of forgery was raised and even prosecution on it taken to the court of law before it was later withdrawn.
“The method of voting in the Senate as contained in the 2011 rule book and used in the 7th Senate was open and not secret voting, which was not in anyway, amended till the end of that Senate, raising the question on how secret voting provision crept into 2015 rule book used for the inauguration of the 8th Senate four years ago.
“Such fraud imposed on the 8th Senate will not be accepted in the 9th Senate. It shall be open voting for election of the two presiding officers. Every senator-elect across party lines must openly answer his or her father’s name during the elections in knowing those who vote for candidate A or B on any of the two positions.
“I am contesting for the position of Deputy President of the 9th Senate and I am very sure of winning but the voting method must be an open way as obtainable in most parliaments across the globe “, he said.
We‘ll go by 2015 style -Ndume
But Senator Ali Ndume (APC Borno South), who is running against Ahmad Lawan for the position of president of the 9th Senate in his reaction, said since no amendment was made to the secret voting method provided for in the 2015 Senate rule book throughout the life span of the just ended 8th Senate, the provision stands, and must be used as guidelines for conduct of the election.
“There is no room for any debate on this matter or grandstanding by anybody. Secret balloting system was used in June 2015 for election of the two presiding officers of the just ended 8th Senate as contained in the 2015 Senate Standing rules which was not amended. Therefore to me, the existing rule as far as such elections are concerned in the Senate, is secret voting method , no more , no less “, he said .
Apparently disturbed by the rising tension, CNA Sani- Omolori was at the Villa Saturday to meet with the president over the matter.
Sani-Omolori’s visit to the Villa, it was further learnt, was to honour a presidential invitation to that effect.
Two aides to the president were said to have facilitated Omolori’s invitation to the Presidency.
When asked about the preparations for Tuesday’s election, the CNA, sources said, told the president there was the need to ensure the image of the National Assembly was not endangered in conducting the elections.
He also drew attention to the existing rules of both chambers to which Buhari, in a brief remark, appreciated the fact that Sani-Omolori expressed readiness to stick to the rule to avoid chaos and disorderliness.
“The clerk briefed Mr. President on the procedure for the election of presiding officers and what the rule says. Right there, the president directed the clerk to ensure that the right thing is done by sticking to the rules of both chambers. In fact, the president was impressed that the clerk did not show any sign of compromising the rule”, a source said
