Imposing Leaders on N’Assembly Dangerous for Tinubu, NNPP Senator-elect Warns

•Group raises the alarm over plans to stop aggrieved aspirants

•Yari well received by Buhari in Daura, campaign team clarifies

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

A former presidential  liaison officer to the National Assembly, who has now been elected into the 10th Senate on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Sumaila Kawu, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu, against interfering with the selection process of presiding officers of the federal parliament.

Also, a pro-democracy group, the Coalition for Good Governance Network (C2G-Network),has advised Tinubu against foisting leaders on the National Assembly.

This was as the Campaign Office of Senator-elect Abdulaziz Yari, has said his Senate Presidency ambition received a boost on Sunday, when he visited former President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, Katsina State.

Kawu, who addressed journalists in Abuja, yesterday, went down memory lane to justify reasons Tinubu should steer clear of the selection process and allow members to elect their leaders according to the nation’s constitution, urging him to recognise the roles and responsibilities of the three arms of government in achieving an overall national interest.

“The constitution is explicit about how the President and Deputy President of the Senate shall be elected. For instance, Chapter 2 of the 9th Standing Orders of the Senate 2022 (as amended) stipulates the procedures for selection of Presiding Officers of the Senate.

“Similarly, Section 50(1)a of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) states that, there shall be a President and Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.

“Section 50(1)b stipulates that, ‘A Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.

“It is therefore clear that, the election of these Presiding Officers is purely an internal affair that concerns only members of the National Assembly and therefore, they should be allowed to decide, who among them would occupy  the positions in order to avoid repetition of the past mistakes – we may all recall the incidences of the 7th and 8th National Assembly.  

“In my view, external interference in the election of the next Presiding Officers of the National Assembly would not only violate the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and Standing Orders of both the Senate and House of Representatives, but would also cause a serious misunderstandings between the Legislative and Executive  Arms of government,” he said.

Convener of the Coalition for Good Governance Network (C2G-Network), Mr. Remi Adebayo, while addressing journalists in Abuja, yesterday, said, “The president must resist antics and desperation from interested parties or so-called anointed candidates to subsequently heat up the polity by dancing to the tunes of people, who want their opponents arrested, harassed or prevented from accessing the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly on Tuesday, June 13,

“The C2G-Network strongly aligns with lawful and democratic processes for the next Presiding Officers of the National  Assembly to be elected, without resorting to intimidation or harassment of those seeking leadership positions or their supporters based on their democratic alignments or choices.”

On its part, Yari’s campaign office, in a statement, claimed that many senators-elect from across the political parties had registered support for Yari, “swelling towards a majority call for him as the next Senate President.”

The statement added that no fewer than 22 Senators-elect from various political parties and spreading across the six geopolitical zones accompanied Yari to Daura to pay a congratulatory visit to the former President on his successful end of tenure.

“Yari was well received by a very jovial former President Buhari and that at no point did he make any comment in disapproval of his guests in any manner. Yari and his team told the former President they were in Daura to congratulate the former President and pray for his healthy life out of office.

“They also assured him that they were working towards a cordial legislative/executive relationship under the new administration adding that they were not in confrontation with the executive but committed to strengthening the legislative arm of government

“Senator Yari came with over 20 senators-elect to visit President Buhari, to congratulate him for his successful tenure in office and pray for his good health. That gesture by Senator Yari demonstrates humility, reverence and love towards the former President, it shows his respect for elders and that is a mark of true statesmanship and leadership,” it stated.