Resurgence of leadership tussle as NASS resumes plenary today

After weeks of ceasefire between the federal lawmakers belonging to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP) over leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly, resurgence of the contention is imminent as the lawmakers resume plenary sessions today.

Taiye Odewale examines scenarios that may play out particularly in the Senate where the call for Saraki’s impeachment is more strident.
Defection and call to relinquish leadership Problem of leadership tussle started in the Senate on Tuesday, July 31, 2018, the very day Senator Bukola Saraki defected to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from the All Progressives Congress (APC) without relinquishing his position as President of the 8th Senate since there is no law constitutional or otherwise, giving the two presiding positions of either the Senate or House of Representatives to the party with majority number of seats.

But even without the law, throughout the month of August to the first two weeks in September, plots and calls for Saraki’s impeachment were very rife within the APC circles, one of which was the one made by the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole who said that it was immoral for Saraki to have left the APC without dropping its crown.

Oshiomhole at the time said: “Saraki’s defection from APC as Senate President is like somebody leaving his own family to join another one without relinquishing the crown gotten from the first family to them.

Since he has left APC, he should as a matter of integrity if he has it, drop the position of Senate Presidency or be ready to be kicked out “.

Ignorance on display A submission Saraki and many of the PDP senators described as balderdash from the pit of ignorance.

According to them, neither the 1999 constitution nor the Senate standing rules stipulates that only Senator from the party with majority seats in the chamber should be elected as Senate President or Deputy Senate President.

Specifically , the Senate President Bukola Saraki in the heat of the calls for his impeachment in August , said those making the calls or plots should work for 73 out of the 109 senators as required 2/3 constitutionally stipulated for impeachment of a Senate President or Deputy Senate President.

According to him, while section 50(1a) of the 1999 constitution as amended, states that any senator irrespective of party affiliation can aspire for any of the two presiding positions in the Senate or House of Representatives, section 50(2) of the same constitution states that for anybody occupying the position to be impeached, 2/3 of membership of the affected chamber must be involved.

Rekindled Saraki must go But weeks after the noise on move to impeach him died down, the issue came up again last Saturday in Abuja by the Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan (APC Yobe North) at the affirmation convention held for President Muhammadu Buhari candidacy for the 2019 Presidential election on the platform of APC.

Lawan, who resuscitated the impeachment plot while addressing the gathering on behalf of APC federal lawmakers said, “The senate wishes to assure you that we will remain in our caucus We want to have a National Assembly that will, at all times, work with Mr.

President, day and night, to deliver to Nigerians what we have lost over the years.

The leadership of the National Assembly has shown to us that they are not prepared to be loyal to this administration.

determined, focused and resolved to work with you.

“On July 24 this year, when we had unceremonious closure of the Senate and the National Assembly for the first time, we had the most cohesive, united and focused APC caucus in the Eighth senate.

“We remain committed to you and the programmes of this administration.

We remain loyal to our party, and we shall continue to support any programme of this administration.

“We thank Mr. President for supporting senators who have remained committed and loyal to this party.

“I want to take this opportunity to thank the chairman and leaders of the party, for supporting us at the most difficult times in the history of our primaries.

“I want to add that it is not yet Uhuru for some of us.

We believe that there are still some issues to be resolved in favour of some of our colleagues.

Saraki Lawan “I want to also add that the number of senators of APC in the senate remains the largest.

I want to call the attention of everyone here to the fact that democracy, as defined by people, remains government of the majority, where minority will always have their say.

Repeat of nine greater than 16 “Those who cannot remember that there was a time in this country when nine was greater than 16, I want to remind them that we have come to that point again.

“Now, we have our chamber dominated and occupied by minority leaders.

They remain minority leaders occupying our positions.

Those who refuse to follow the part of honour and integrity by exiting; we will send them out with ignominy.

“I want to assure everyone here that 2019 is going to be a walkover for Mr.

President, by the grace of God.

It will see APC winning more than 24 states.

“We will have a national assembly where vast majority of senators will be from the APC and in the House of Representatives.

“We want to have a National Assembly that will, at all times, work with Mr.

President, day and night, to deliver to Nigerians what we have lost over the years.

The leadership of the National Assembly has shown to us that they are not prepared to be loyal to this administration.

We’ll force Saraki out “On Tuesday (today), we will be going back to the National Assembly when our recess is over.

We intend to force through a lot of things and pass that budget for INEC and the security agencies for the 2019 election.

“If we cannot convince them, we intend to force through the foreign plan for this administration.

Some people have taken our mandate and ran away with it.

We intend to fight, defend and promote the interest of this party at all cost”.

Though neither the leadership of both chambers nor PDP caucuses, have reacted to Lawan’ s threat, but it is certain that his statement must have further made them to guide their loins against any eventuality today or during the week.

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