10th Assembly: Allow Lawmakers-Elect Choose Their Leaders, Group Tells APC

Citizens Advocacy Group, Better Nigeria Movement has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to let the lawmakers elect their leaders for the 10th National Assembly.

It would be recalled that the ruling party had weeks ago nominated the former Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio -from the South-South region and Barau Jibrin from Kano North as the anointed candidates for the Senate and Deputy Senate President of the 10th Assembly respectively.

Also, the party nominated Tajudeen Abbas from Kaduna and Benjamin Kalu from Abia State for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

However, the nominations have been opposed by some party members, opposition parties, and several newly elected lawmakers.

Amid the power struggle, President Bola Tinubu has planned a meeting with the newly elected lawmakers from the opposition parties on Monday.

Reacting to the development barely seven days to the election, the group in a statement issued by its Secretary, Bako Saliu, said the party’s decision was an imposition that, if not reversed, may put the 10th legislators in danger.

The statement partly reads, “The ninth National Assembly will draw the curtains on its activities in a fortnight. The leadership of the All Progressives Congress had in April zoned the leadership of the 10th National Assembly to the South-South (Senate President), North West (Deputy Senate President), Speaker (North West), and Deputy Speaker (South East).

“While the anointed candidates have been traversing the length and breadth of the country seeking the support of colleagues, state governors, and other stakeholders, there are moves by some gladiators to upstage a surprise come June 14, when the legislators will be inaugurated.

“We believe the lawmakers-elect should be allowed to choose who they want as their leaders. A zone is not a person; even if the NWC zoned the position to the North West and South-South they should allow them to choose the best among those from the region.

“It is very evident that Some of the Lawmakers-elect even those from the same region as the anointed candidates are unhappy with the way anointed speaker and senate president were selected. They have been insisting they were not consulted. It is however an invitation to crisis in the 10th assembly if this is not addressed.