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Tag: Ninth National Assembly

  • Tinubu defends his role in Assembly leadership battle

    Former Lagos State Governor Bola Tinubu on Sunday explained his position on the race for the leadership of the Ninth National Assembly.

    According to the All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart, all he has done in respect of the impending election of presiding officers of the National Assembly is to support the party’s and the President’s position.

    “No ulterior motives in so doing,” a statement from the frontline politician’s Media Office said. His media aide, Tunde Rahman, signed the statement.

    The APC stalwart stressed that he is focused on supporting the President Buhari-led administration in achieving the shared vision of a flourishing economy and a prosperous people.

    Asiwaju Tinubu was responding to reports that he was meddling in the APC’s nomination for National Assembly leadership positions ahead of the 2023 presidential race.

    He said he would have committed a terrible political blunder by navigating against the President’s position.

    Read also: Tinubu focusing on the issues of today: Tomorrow is the master of itself

    The former Lagos helmsman said those casting aspersions on him were, in reality, bucking against President Buhari’s position.

    He urged rumor-mongers to court greater discipline and wisdom, stressing that it is too early to decide on a political dispensation that is still four years away.

    “There is no action a person can take that constitutes a political guarantee as to what may come four years from now,” Tinubu said, dismissing the claim that having allies in the National Assembly leadership positions will greatly enhance someone’s presidential ambitions as spurious.

    Noting the importance of the National Assembly to the fulfillment of the President’s agenda, he lamented the “painful” lessons learnt in respect of the last four years, with the Senate and the House of Representatives under the control of those who did not embrace the President’s vision.

    The statement reads: “Asiwaju is neither inclined, nor sufficiently naive, to take his eye off the present in the futile attempt to peer through the thick fog that is the future.

    “With the Senate leadership usurped by regressive elite, that chamber constituted a brake on progress and good governance.

    “The Senate leadership, and to a lesser degree, the House leadership, stymied APC legislative initiatives while attempting to hoist noxious, reactionary and self-interested legislation on the nation.”

    Outgoing Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara and their ilk, he said, hijacked the budget process these past four years.

    He went on: “National budgets were delayed and distorted as these actors repeatedly sought to pad budgets with pet projects that would profit them.

    “Even worse, they cut funds intended to prosper projects that would have benefited the average person. After four years of their antics halting the progress of government, we should do all we can to prevent a repeat of their malign control of the National Assembly.”

    He recalled how Senator Saraki finagled his way into the Senate presidency in 2015.

    Tinubu said: “He planted himself at the apex of legislative power. But his actions as Senate president showed a man devoid of compassion for the average Nigerian. All he cared for was power and position.

    “Soon he will be deprived of both. House Speaker Dogara has fared only slightly better. Occupying these positions is not a guarantee of future success. It is only a guarantee of present duty.

    “Politics requires jockeying and maneuvering for influence to get the right people in the right positions. To be beneficial, politics must be tied to the greater purpose of governance, such as with President Buhari’s goal to reform the national economy for the good of all Nigerians.”

    “In supporting the party and the President, Asiwaju has shown his commitment to achieving the President’s goals. Nothing more should be read into it,” the statement said.

  • North central governors, states’ chairman endorse Lawan, Gbajabiamila

    The race for the Ninth National Assembly’s  leadership is getting more exciting, with  All Progressives Congress (APC) governors and party chairmen from the Northcentral states endorsing of Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan and House of Representatives leader Femi Gbajabiamila for Senate President and Speaker.

    The endorsement was done at a closed-door meeting of stakeholders from the zone at the Plateau State Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.

    The meeting was chaired by Plateau State Governor Simon Lalong.

    According to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, Mark Longyen, the session lasted one hour.

    The statement reads: “A meeting of governors and the party chairmen from Northcentral on Thursday (yesterday) resolved to go along with the decision of the party’s endorsement of Senator Ahmad Lawan as Senate President and Femi Gbajabiamila as the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the 9th National Assembly.

    “Since it was a party affair, our decision was in line with the wish of the party and that is why we the governors and state chairmen of our party from the zone are in support of the decision of the party.”

    Read Also: 164 APC members-elect endorse Gbajabiamila as Speaker

    When asked what the zone stands to gain in the power sharing formula, Gov. Lalong said: “We are still deliberating. We have not exhausted the positions with respect to zoning.

    “Our decision and position are only on two issues, while the rest deliberations are ongoing. There is going to be a continuation of our meeting in respect of positions to the Northcentral with both Mr. President and the party.”

    At the meeting Governors  Abubakar Sani Bello (Niger); Umaru Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa) Benue State APC governorship candidate Emmanuel Jime.

    The state chairman of the APC who attended are:  Jibrin Imam (Niger);  Abdullahi Bello (Kogi); Philips Shekwo (Nasarawa);  Letep Dabang (Plateau); Abba Yaro (Benue) and Abdullahi Usman (FCT).

  • NASS: APC governors endorses Lawan, Gbajabiamila – Shettima

    Gov. Kashim Shettima of Borno says former governors in the ninth National Assembly have endorsed the candidature of Sen. Ahmed Lawan for the seat of Senate President.

    Shettima, who confirmed this development when he fielded questions from newsmen in N’Djamena, Chad, said the affected senators-elect had also endorsed Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila for the position of Speaker of the House Representatives.

    The governor also revealed that all the Senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect from Borno state have endorsed candidature of Lawan and Gbajabiamila.

    He, therefore, dismissed the insinuation in some quarters that former governors in the national assembly were against the election of Lawan and Gbajabiamila as leaders of the two chambers of the national assembly.

    According to Shettima, the only way APC governors can show appreciation to President Buhari is for them to support his programmes and political decisions.

    “All our governors including those coming to the senate are 100 per cent in support of our party’s stance as far as election of new leadership for the national assembly is concerned.

    “As far as Borno is concern, we are in alignment with the aspirations of Mr President and that of our party.

    “Whoever the party endorses for any position, we will solely stand behind such a person because party discipline is absolutely essential for the sustainability of our democratic experiment.

    “If everyone is to vote according to his own free will surely that would be a recipe for disaster or confusion.

    “So, we have to align ourselves with the aspirations of the president,’’ he said.

    The governor, who was part of President Buhari’s entourage to meeting of member nations of the the Community of Sahel – Saharan States (CEN SAD) in N’Djamena, expressed the hope that the body would come out with lasting solutions to the challenges of insecurity in the affected areas.

    While commending President Buhari for his role in promoting peace and stability in the region, the governor enjoined member nations of the CEN SAD to intensify efforts in addressing the problems of terrorism and banditry along the Lake Chad basin and beyond(NAN)

  • Imposed National Assembly leadership will fail, says Dogara

    Speaker of House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, yesterday said that the leadership of the ninth National Assembly should be allowed to emerge from elected parliamentarians.

    Dogara said that any leadership that is forced on the National Assembly will fail.

    The Speaker spoke in Abuja at the ongoing induction of Senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect of the ninth National Assembly.

    He noted that a situation where “leadership is forced and literally driven down the throat of elected members had never endured in the National Assembly.”

    He advised Senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect to look out for those who have thrown themselves into the race to see who will aggregate their aspirations better.

    The least legislators could afford in the National Assembly, he said, is crisis on account of the leadership selection process.

    Insisting that “I hope we will learn from history”, Dogara noted that leadership imposed on the National Assembly has never worked.

    Dogara said, “Well, I guess that it is not a subject matter you may want just to offer an advice on because we are all parliamentarians those that have been elected, we will be here for four years to serve the people. Leadership is always some thing that emerges from people.

    “Some of us that have been a bit old in the field, we know how that is done. My advice is that we stay calm to understand the people going in for these positions of leadership in the National Assembly.

    “At the end of the day we are praying that we have those leaders who will be able to sustain what we have done in the Eight Assembly or even surpass what we have done. We don’t want leadership that will take us back.

    “We have made a lot of mileage and we hope that we will be able to get the kind of leadership that will build on the achievements of this Assembly which is unparalleled in our legislative history.

    “I will advise members to actually look out for those who have thrown themselves into the race to see who is it that will aggregate their aspirations better and then will be able to surpass the record of this Assembly.

    On the role of party in the emergence of leadership at the National Assembly he said “Well, I’m not here to dictate to parties, the parties have their manifestoes, the way to do their businesses but one thing I have said and if you followed the business during this induction, it is always better to allow the leadership to emerge from the people.

    “Where leadership has been forced upon the people, the history in the National Assembly, and in fact, the history of Nigeria, it has never endured.

    “The least we could afford in the National Assembly is crisis on account of the leadership selection process.

    “So who ever a party is sponsoring and supporting, they should make sure they have the backing of the legislature so that they (legislators) accept it because they own the process and they own the leadership.

    “That way, it will be good but in a situation it is forced, literally driven down the throat, in most cases it doesn’t augur well. Even in the Senate it doesn’t augur well. In the House of Representatives too, it doesn’t augur well too.

    “You are journalists, you should be able to dig into the archive and you will be able to find specific cases.”

    On the sweeping powers of a Nigerian president and the way the president could be disciplined if need be, Dogara noted that unless Section 143 of the Constitution is amended, it is practically impossible to successfully impeach a Nigerian President.

    He said “When people talk about the impeachment of the president, I just laugh because I know with Section 143 of the Constitution, it is not possible to actively activate impeachment of the president.”

    He said that the onus lies on members of the National Assembly to make the parliament strong in the interest of the people.

    Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume in his comment, said that the National Assembly is drifting and has been privatized to some extent.

    He noted that when positions have been zoned, members of the zones should be allowed to choose among themselves.

    Ndume also said that a situation where the presiding officer rules out a member who has contribution to make should be reconsidered.

    Dogara laughed and noted that since Ndume is running for the Senate President, if he gets it he will know where the shoe pinches.

    Dogara said, “If you become the Senate President, you will like to exercise such power because I know you very well. Certain unwritten rules are applied by the presiding officer to stabilize the chamber.

    “If a member raises point of order, the presiding officer may even tell him to approach the chair.”

     

  • Zone Deputy Senate President to South-East, Kalu begs APC

    The Senator-elect for Abia North, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, Monday pleaded with the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to zone the position of Deputy Senate President to the South East geo-political zone.

    Kalu who made the appeal at the ongoing induction of Senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect noted that zoning the Deputy Senate President to the South East will be in line with the diversity of the country.

    The diversity of the country, he said, is the beauty of the country.

    He said that APC as a party should look at diversity, because “diversity is our strength.”

    He said, “I am a very loyal party man. The party has already zoned the position of Senate President. I can never disobey the party. The party is supreme.

    “What I am asking the party to zone the deputy Senate President to the South East, so that I will not disobey the party by going on the floor of the House, which I have the capacity, if I am allowed to do that.

    “What I am asking the party as they have zoned this position of Senate President to North East, they should as well zone the position of the deputy Senate President to South East. So that I don’t go to contest out of zone.

    “I can contest against whoever comes from the South East or the caucus of the South East can go back and decide what the part wants within the South East.

    “What I am pleading with the leaders of the National Working Committee and other leaders, let us not divide this party. All of us are loyal to the country. We are loyal to the constitution. We are also loyal to our party. I want that loyalty to continue, so that none of us will deviate from what the party”

    “On relationship between the Executive and legislature, Kalu noted that it has to be very cordial in the interest of the progress of the country.

    He said, “President Buhari means well. And some of us who with or without politics we are his friends, we will like to keep the place very stable.

    “Not only for him, but for the good of the country. The President is just one person. If there is stability in the Senate and Executive, there will be stability in the country. We are for the stability of the country.

    Read Also: Zone Deputy Senate President to South-East, Kalu tells APC

    On the position of Senator Kabiru Gaya that the slot of Deputy Senate President should be zoned to the North West Kalu said:

    “You know, he is a senior governor. That is his view. It is not a view that represents the views and understanding of the country. He is a man I respect a lot. But his view does not represent the diversity of the country.

    “Even if you like take the President, Vice President, Speaker, Senate President to one part of the country, you have not solved the problem of the country.

    “The diversity of the country is the beauty of the country. I will like APC as a party to look at diversity. Diversity is our strength. Diversity is very important.

    “I don’t want to formally declare anything until the party zones to our zone. I am not going to challenge the party, but I want the party to do the right thing. I have the capacity to go on the floor of the House and contest. It is this people here that will vote and they are our friends. But I want the party to do the right thing.”

  • Breaking: I won’t step down, Ndume vows after meeting Osinbajo

    Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Monday met behind closed doors with the former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume.

    Ndume has been aspiring to be President of the 9th Senate due for inauguration in June.

    He had declared his intention to run for the number three highest political office despite endorsement of the current Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan for the position by the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC).

    Ndume, declined to speak on camera with State House correspondents on Monday at the end of about one- hour meeting with Osinbajo.

    Read Also:  Osinbajo, Ndume meet in Aso Rock

    But he indicated that he was not ready to step down from the race.

    When asked by reporters whether he would step down, he asked rhetorically: “Me?”

    He declined to speak further on the Senate Presidency race as he maintained that he was still holding consultation.
    “This is not the time to talk now because I am still holding consultation,” he stated.

    Details shortly…

  • Don’t impose leaders on NASS, Ndume’s supporters tell APC

    A coalition of pro- democracy groups under the auspices of National Coalition in Defence of Democracy has asked the leadership of the All Progressives Congress and the Presidency to avoid the mistake of the past and refrain from imposing leaders on the National Assembly, especially the Senate.

    The group warned that attempts by previous governments to impose leaders on the National Assembly have always ended badly with the eventual impeachment of those imposed by the Presidency, giving examples of such impositions by former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

    National Coordinator of the coalition, Ambassador Auwal Alhassan Gama told a news conference on Monday in Abuja that rather than micro zone the position of the President of the Senate to an individual, they were of the view that the senators whom they described as men of integrity should be allowed to pick their own leaders.

    They expressed the belief that if allowed to select their leaders, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume would emerge as the Senate President considering his wealth of experience as a legislator and would ensure a cordial relationship between the executive and the legislature.

    Reminded that the leadership of the party has already taken a stand and may not turn back on it, Gama said “it is not constitutional to micro zone the positions to individuals. Having zoned it to the zones, it is our belief that the zone should be allowed to decide on who they want as doing so would amount to disenfranchising others.

    “We don’t support picking an individual by the party. It is our belief that the 109 senators who are men of integrity should be allowed to make their choice of who should lead them. But if our suggestions are not carried, it would go down in history that we spoke out.

    Asked why they were particular about the position of the Senate President and silent on that of the Speaker of the House of Representatives which has not been given to any zone, Gama said they decided to speak out on the position of Senate President since the party has already made its decision on it known.

    Read Also: Lawan, Goje, Ndume: Who becomes next Senate President?

    He said: “the forum observed among other things that one of the reasons why the present government under the able leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari GCFR did not meet up the expectations of many Nigerians in the areas of Infrastructure and Human development was a result of the sour relationship between the Executive and the Legislative arms of Government. This has created setbacks in the areas of non-full implementation of the budget and alteration on key intended project by the government.

    “The National Coalition In Defence of Democracy in its wisdom felt the need to call on the newly elected members of the upper chambers of the National Assembly irrespective of the political party to consider Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, a three term senator from Borno South Senatorial district of Borno State, a Patriot, a detribaised Nigerian and an experienced member of the National Assembly who has contributed to the growth of our democracy for the position of President of the Senate.

    “The decision to call for Support for Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume’s emergence as the next Senate president is born out of our desire for a healthy working relationship between the Executives and the Legislature for a better delivery of democratic dividends. It is our believe that he will bring his matured sense of reasoning, experience and fear of God into play as the Chairman of the National Assembly, he is one politician we know and trust Will unite all interest in the National Assembly.

    “While we salute the courage and goodwill of the presidency in allowing the independent of all arms of government to run its activities independently, it is equally important for all stakeholders including the APC National Working Committee to provide a level playing ground for all its members at the North Eastern part of the country who deemed it fit to contest.

    “We wish to call on all members of the National Assembly Elect, especially those of the upper chambers to support the call for Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume’s Senate Presidency. We were part of the process that brought you on-board and it is our humble plea and believes that Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume will not disappoint us.”

  • APC chieftain to Saraki, Dogara: steer clear of selection of National Assembly leaders

    All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain Yekini Nabena has urged Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara to stay off the processes of picking the leadership of the Ninth National Assembly.

    Nabena told reporters in Abuja that the APC has learnt its lesson from the outgoing Assembly when those he described as “impostors” hijacked the leadership of the legislature.

    He alleged that those who hijacked the leadership, used their positions to frustrate the efforts of the Prseident Muhamadu Buhari-led government to effect positive changes in the country.

    The APC chief, who doubles APC’s deputy national publicity secretary, said the decision of the ruling party  on the selection and zoning of principal offices in the incoming Ninth National Assembly is supreme and must be respected by the party’s legislative caucus and opposition federal lawmakers.

    He said: “The APC has learnt its lesson from the outgoing National Assembly when impostors masquerading as party men sabotaged our party and hijacked our mandate. Affliction shall not rise up the second time.

    Read also: Promissory Notes: NASS approved figures sent by Executive for Delta, Taraba States, says Saraki

    “The efforts by the Adams Oshiomhole leadership of the party are commendable in achieving a fair selection and zoning arrangement that appeals to a greater section of the party stakeholders.

    “APC is the overwhelmingly majority party in the National Assembly and has a legitimate right to make its choices on the selection and zoning of principal offices. The APC family is in agreement on the party’s supremacy and the PDP and other opposition parties should focus on their minority positions.”

    He stressed that outgoing Senate President, House Speaker and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) National Assembly Caucus, have been moving from pillar to post to frustrate the plan of APC through a hidden evil plot to interfere in the emergence of incoming National Assembly leaders.

    “We are aware of the scheming by Saraki, Dogara and the PDP caucus to interfere with the emergence of the incoming National Assembly leadership. Their plans are bound to fail as the APC is a strong party with unity of purpose”, Nabena said.

  • 9th NASS: APC Diaspora chairmen urge support for party’s choice candidates

    The Committee of Diaspora Chairmen of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on members of the party to support the party’s preferred candidates for all principal offices of the ninth National Assembly.

    The committee made the appeal in a statement emailed to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday in Lagos.

    NAN reports that the statement was sent by the Chairman, APC Scandinavia, Mr Ayoola Lawal, from his Sweden base.

    The statement was signed by Dr Philip Edeawor, Chairman APC, United Kingdom; Prof. Adesegun Olabinjo, Chairman, APC, USA; Mr Stephen Adeayo, Chairman, APC Spain; Barrister Hammed Adefioye, Chairman APC Ireland; Mr Olanrewaju Balogun ,Chairman, APC, France and Mr Olalekan Ogunwede, Chairman, APC, Germany, Ayoola.

    Mr Bola Babarinde, APC Chairman, South Africa; Mr Elas Abong, APC Chairman, Canada; Mr Charles Michelleti (Ghana), Mr Adesola Adelekan (Philippines) and Mr Tony Isama, Emeritus Chairman of APC Diaspora Chairmen Forum, also signed the release.

    The committee said it was imperative for members and chieftains of the party and candidates for principal offices in the Senate and House of Representatives to avoid the mistakes of the past.

    The committee urged members of the party elected for the ninth Assembly to work harmoniously with the executive.

    It said this would help the party to deliver its electoral promises to Nigerians.

    The committee called for unity and cohesion of all groups in the party, saying nothing could be achieved in an atmosphere of disunity.

    “We the committees of Diaspora Chairmen believe that for our party to grow, mature and/or become an institution that provides national visionary leadership, every effort must be made to remove all known or possible cause(s) of internal contradictions and those factors that blur our party’s social democratic values.

    Read also: How 9th NASS leaders will emerge, by Tinubu

    “Such steps will help us avoid the pitfalls of the past, particularly the unacceptable situation of having a National Assembly leadership that was largely driven by the opposition and that seemed to work at cross purposes with the executive arm of government and the party all the time.

    “We plead with Mr President and party leaders to take a clear, firm and unambiguous position with regards to the party’s preferred options for the leadership of the National Assembly and to do everything permissible to avoid the fiasco of 2015.

    “We want to assure our party leaders of our firm support with regards to the recent pronouncements of the National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole.

    “Our party, the APC should, through respectful conversations, convince all our elected distinguished and honourable members of the National Assembly to go into the issue of electing leaders for the Senate and House of representatives as a family, united in the desire to ensure that the party becomes a more functional political party.

    “It should be focused on deepening our message to the Nigerian people.

    “The committee of Diaspora chairmen calls on and pleads with all our elected National Assembly members to work in harmony with our party leadership and Mr President to ensure that APC truly becomes the party of choice for all Nigerian patriots.

    “We strongly appeal to our distinguished leaders to support whoever the party presents as candidate for all offices in the 9th National Assembly, including the offices of the Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives.

    “As for us and our members in the Diaspora, we have laboured long and hard, contributing in a significant way to achieve victory for our party at both the national and state elections.

    “And our one desire is to see our party truly in government this time. We no longer wish to see our effort and contributions hijacked by those who do not believe in our party and what she stands for in Nigeria’s political evolution.

    ‘”The clear message this time should be ‘Our party, our government.

    “Therefore, cooperation and mutual respect among all our elected leaders and our party leaders at all levels are of paramount importance to achieve all our objectives,” the committee said.

    The committee congratulated President Muhammadu Buhari and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo on their re-election, calling on the duo to immediately strengthen the workings of the party to help achieve good governance. (NAN)

  • Group to APC leadership: ensure fairness in zoning National Assembly’s positions

    THE leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been urged to be guided by fairness and justice in the zoning of leadership positions in the Ninth National Assembly.

    Justice Advocacy Group said fairness on the path of the party’s leadership would ensure that each geopolitical zone is rewarded in accordance with its contribution to the just concluded general elections.

    The advocacy group also suggested that the consideration of all regions would eliminate a repeat of the situation that led to the relegation of party supremacy to the background by certain lawmakers that contributed largely to a frosty relationship between the executive and the Eighth National Assembly.

    In a statement yesterday by its coordinator,  Akintunde Lawal, the group noted that such nationalistic stance on fairness and equity in the distribution of resources of the people is strongly supported by the nation’s constitution as well as APC’s constitution.

    Read also: 9th NASS: Christian association tells APC, Buhari to balance appointments

    The statement reads: “Now that APC has won the elections, the critical issues should be how the APC will deliver to the electorates the dividends of democracy.

    “So, what the party leaders need to do is to allocate key offices to  respect geopolitical sensitivity and standing among geopolitical zones.

    “We should guide against the crisis that characterised the eighth assembly.

    “The incoming Nigerian  legislature  cannot afford any  unnecessary feisty political relationship with the executive and to forestall this, the APC leadership must do what is right.

    “There must be justice and fairness as enshrined in the constitution  of  the party and Nigerian constitution”

    “As it is now, the North West has the President while the South West has the Vice President and the National Leader of the APC leaving Four Zones  bare.

    “So, it is incumbent on the party to reflect political balancing in considering the leadership of the Ninth Assembly”.

    Saying that all the zones must be considered on the basis of equity as enshrined in the APC constitution, the group noted that such decision would also be in support of the nation’s constitution.

    “Nigerian Constitution 1999 Sections 14 (1c),3 and 4 and the APC Constitution as amended in Article 7 (i),(ii), (ix) and  (xii) made this clear and doing otherwise would be courting crisis in the coming Assembly.

    “Ceding the positions to the appropriate zones would not amount to sacrificing competence but strengthening the foundation of democracy in the country.

    “It is important that every geopolitical zone in the country has a sense of belonging, also recognises the number of votes and therefore, every zone must be recognised on the basis of their contributions to the party.

    “In the just concluded presidential election the Northwest APC comprising seven states produced 5,995,651 representing 72.45 per cent  of the votes cast; Northeast, comprising six states produced 3,238,783, votes representing 74.36 per cent; Northcentral, comprising six states produced 2,465,599 votes, representing 54.92 per cent; Southwest comprising six states produced 2,036,450 votes, representing 53.41 per cent; Southeast comprising five states produced 403, 968 votes, representing 19.26 per cent and Southsouth, comprising six states, produced 1,051,396 votes, representing 32.01 per cent.

    “If APC goes to the contest (i.e election of principal officers in the National Assembly) with a divided house, it will be detrimental  not only to the party but the Ninth Assembly.

    “It must be noted that a divided APC will be very vulnerable  and the  opposition parties can spring surprises during the elections yet again, suggesting  that the APC would not have allowed experience to be the best teacher.

    “President Buhari and the leadership of the party will do well to consider the implications of a repeat of the scenario of the last four years.

    “Nigerians are watching,” the group added.