- The APC might be heading for a major impasse over the leadership of the 9th National Assembly
- Some senators-elect on the platform of the party are said to be angry over recent comments by a national leader of the party
- The legislators-elect said rather than threatening the elected lawmakers, the party leadership ought to have engaged them
A report by ThisDay indicates that the crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) over the choice of the leadership of the 9th National Assembly deepened at the weekend as some of the lawmakers threatened to dare the party in the leadership tussle.
Some senators-elect of the ruling APC have also frowned at what they described as the recent utterances of the National Leader of the party, Senator Bola Tinubu, over the composition of the leadership of the National Assembly.
According to them, such outburst should not have come from a national leader of the party.
Some of the party’s senators-elect were said to have met in Abuja on Sunday, March 31 to discuss the decision of the party to determine the federal legislature’s leadership.
READ ALSO: NASS leadership: Group urges APC to insist on Lawan, Gbajabiamila
Tinubu had at the weekend in Lagos asked elected party members, not comfortable with the choice of Senator Ahmad Lawan and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as Senate President and House Speaker respectively, to leave the party or be ready to abide by party decision on the matter.
A cross section of the senators-elect who spoke on condition of anonymity said such a remark by Tinubu was unbecoming of a national leader of a ruling party like APC.
They also reminded Tinubu that the party belongs to all stakeholders and not an individual saying: “Asiwaju should be reminded that many political parties agreed to collapse their structures to form the nucleus of APC some five years ago; so, the party does not belong to him.”
The legislators-elect said rather than threatening the elected lawmakers, the party leadership ought to have engaged them on how to evolve a vibrant leadership for the 9th National Assembly.
A senator-elect from the North-central said: “As we speak, the party leaders have not deemed it fit to call all APC senators-elect to a meeting only for us to be told publicly by Oshiomhole that Senator Lawan is the party’s choice as next Senate President.”
According to him, “We will do everything possible to resist imposition of any leadership on the next federal parliament.”
Another senator-elect from North-central zone affirmed that the imposition of Lawan on others will not fly.
“We are ready to take on the party leadership on the matter and ensure that all stakeholders are carried along,” he said.
He advised the party not to make the mistake it made in the 8th Senate which produced Dr. Bukola Saraki as Senate President as against Senator Lawan, then the choice of the party.
Another ranking senator added that senators-elect, who are against the imposition of Senator Lawan, had met at the weekend with those who are routing for former Senate Leader, Senator Ali Ndume, as next Senate President with a view to harmonising their position and come up with a candidate to face Lawan on the day 9th Senate will be inaugurated in June.
This, he further said, are some of the issues that would be discussed with their colleagues from across the country, including legislators-elect from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other parties who have representation in the 9th Assembly.
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Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of the APC, have been cautioned against subjecting the control of the National Assembly to certain individuals.
This was the position of the senator representing Abia South senatorial district, Enyinnaya Abaribe, who is also a member of the PDP.
Abaribe said the parliament will not sit back and allow anyone impose presiding officers, insisting that only elected senators, who are duly certified, would vote when the time comes.
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