A civil society organisation, Coalition for Good Governance Network (C2G-Network), has called on President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to listen to the outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari’s voice of reason on the independence of the legislature.
The CSO said Thursday’s revelation by President Buhari – that from the moment of his election in 2015 and subsequently, he supported the idea of an independent National Assembly, particularly “one that is able to decide its Leadership and develop its agenda in line with the manifesto of the All Progressives Congress (APC)” – was commendable and worthy of emulation by incoming President Tinubu in the interest of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.
National Coordinator of the group, Michael Musa, and Secretary, Ajayi Bello, while commending President Buhari for such revelation at this time in a press statement on Friday in Abuja, also called on Tinubu to refrain from meddling in the affairs of the legislature like Buhari and instead promote a culture of mutual respect and collaboration between the two arms of government to engender good governance for Nigerians.
“Coalition for Good Governance Network (C2G-Network) commends President Muhammadu Buhari for his candour at this hour of his stewardship. We urge incoming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to emulate the outgoing President by being a promoter of mutual respect among the three arms of government in the interest of good governance for all Nigerians.
“It is noteworthy to point out that many erroneously believed that President Muhammadu Buhari foisted the current presiding officers on the 9th National Assembly in 2019. Nothing could be farther from the truth as they were products of extensive consultations, hence their acceptability and performance.
“Mr President didn’t impose anyone and that could be seen in the outcome of the elections of presiding officers of the 8th National Assembly in 2015. He learnt his lesson and by 2019, he promoted the idea of consensus candidates to avoid rancour and without impugning on the independence of the legislature.
“What we are witnessing in 2023 is a different and unhealthy scenario – it’s imposition of candidates by President-elect and people close to him, including Mr Femi Gbajabiamila, who benefited from real consensus in 2019, without consultation with relevant stakeholders as admitted by the APC National Chairman. This is undemocratic and unparliamentary, hence the need to listen to President Muhammadu Buhari’s voice of reason by those concerned as a stitch in time saves nine,” they stated.
