With the conduct of 2019 general elections and the emergence of many fresh senators, the change in the leadership of National Assembly has become increasingly imminent. Following the 23rd February elections, many prominent members of the current 8th National Assembly shockingly lost the bid to return to the Assembly including the current Senate President Abubakar Bukola Saraki.
What Nigerians could remember about the outgoing 8th National Assembly are nothing short of chaos, crises and corruption ravaged images.The cases of budget padding was worrisome and had become the topic of discussion for a long time. Though, the 5th, 6th, and 7th Assemblies recorded same or even worst of these issues with the instability of the leadership as a result of direct influence of executive arm of governmet
Regardless, the attention of Nigerians, including the international communities, are gradually shifting towards 8th June this year, the 9th National Assembly will conduct election of principal officers, who will take charge of enacting new laws and other legislative functions on behalf of over 190 million people.
While the ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC) still maintains the lead in both the Senate and House of Representatives and is expected to produce principal leaders for the two chambers, the main opposition party, People Democratic Party is trying very hard through both overt and covert political permutations to repeat the status quo of the 8th Assembly.
Currently, over four senators are eyeing the seat of the senate president, Ahmad Lawan (Yobe), Danjuma Goje (Gombe) and Ndume (Borno) from the ruling party while the current deputy senate president and two others from the opposition also showing great interest to occupy the seat but the opposition party is enjoying the current crisis of APC and pushing harder to support any friendly member of the All Progressive Congress that is interested in contesting the position of the senate president with mindset towards repeating another Saraki dynasty in both chambers.
APC with it’s anointed candidates for various offices, is trying to produce one National Assembly that will support the President and the common interests of the party. Looking at the previous mistakes of the 8th Assembly, allowing any similar crack in the 9th Assembly will lead the party to major setbacks ahead of 2023 general elections.
In determining who will become the principal officers of both Chambers, Senate Rule allows only a ranking senator to be selected for this purpose and being that the APC has the majority, the candidate may come from within its caucus. Another determining factor is only members that presence are allow to vote and for the winner to emerge must have scored the highest votes.
Apparently, the ruling party zone the position of the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives to North East and South West respectively. The party endorsed Lawal Ahmad as a result of his loyalty to the party, his experience being in the National Assembly since 1999 and also his zone, the North East has never produce the Senate President since the return of democracy in 1999. While Gbajabiamila, who has always been the preferred candidate of the APC National Leader, Sen. Ahmed Bola Tinubu, is presently being considered as the party’s candidate to lead the green chamber of the National Assembly.
The major concern of keen political observers in Nigeria and beyond however is, the National Assembly being an integral part of a successful democratic system, should not be thrown into another endless crisis as was the case with the outgoing 8th Assembly, because that may cripple Nigeria’s desire for a better democratic governance. Once this kind of power tussle is progressive nothing good will come through apart from unconstructive criticisms that will not benefit Nigerians. We demand that the incoming 9th Assembly be transparent and champion the nation interest rather than their personal interest.
The 8th Assembly is widely blamed for hijacking the speedy process of government activities as members politicizing any motion that come from the Executive arm that would have enhanced good governance and wellbeing of the citizenry.
The 9th assembly election of presiding officers should be inclusive by reflecting the interest of the six geo-political zones in Nigeria and they should try as much as possible to make laws that will touch the lives of Nigerian people.
Idris Mohammed is Program Officer with YIAGA AFRICA Abuja, He tweets @idpyar
