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Tag: Ninth National Assembly

  • Our members free to vie for National Assembly positions, says PDP

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday said its members can the contest for leadership positions in the Ninth National Assembly.

    A statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said that despite their minority status, opposition lawmakers have constitutional right to seek election into any of the presiding positions in any of the chambers.

    It stated that the positions of President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker are not the exclusive preserves of any political party, but a constitutional right of every elected lawmaker in both chambers.

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) has 65 senators-elect, the PDP has 42 and the Young Progressive Party (YPP) has one. In the lower chamber, the APC has 223, against PDP’s 190 and 10 seats shared among a number of fringe parties.

    The PDP described as unfair the posturing of APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole as if the presiding offices and committee chairmanship positions in the National Assembly were exclusive rights of the APC.

    The statement reads: “President Buhari and Oshiomhole should wake up to the fact that the National Assembly belongs to no political party but to all Nigerians, who exercise their control through their elected representatives.

    “For emphasis, Section 50 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is clear in providing that  ‘There shall be:- (a) a President and a Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves; and (b) a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves’

    “Section 92 (1) makes the same provision for the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of State House of Assembly.

    “The PDP, therefore, does not only have a constitutional say in the process of the emergence of the leadership of the Ninth National Assembly, but will, as a matter of constitutional right, field candidates into presiding offices of both chambers, if need be.”

    Also yesterday, members of the Senate Caucus of the PDP urged their APC counterparts to leave Senate President Bukola Saraki out of the schemes and plots to get his successor.

    REad also: Buhari: I look forward to effective relationship with Ninth National Assembly

    The PDP caucus said the APC senators should leave Saraki out of the jostle by senators-elect on the platform of the ruling party over who gets elected into the leadership of the Ninth Senate.

    In a statement by Senate Minority Leader, Mrs Biodun Olujimi and Chairman, Senate Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Sen. Dino Melaye, the PDP caucus stated that it has observed closely as the contenders for the various Senate leadership posts in the APC sponsor various publications in the media to make it appear that Saraki is seeking to play a role in who occupy the various leadership posts in the next Senate.

    The caucus warned: “Such surreptitious attempts to drag Saraki into the issue that does not concern him would not augur well for the smooth take-off of the next Senate and could only create suspicion and ill-will among the incumbent Senators and the incoming ones.”

  • Ndume to consult colleagues over Senate president

    The “endorsement” of Senator Ahmed Lawan and House of Representatives Leader Femi Gbajabiamila by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Senate President and House Speaker in the Ninth National Assembly may not have gone down well with every member.

    Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South), one of the senators eyeing Senate President, yesterday described the APC nod to Lawan as unconstitutional.

    He was reacting to reports that APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole announced the endorsement of Lawan and Gbajabiamila as the party’s candidates for the two exalted positions.

    According to him, he consulted widely and was given the go-ahead by party leaders to vie for the position.

    He insisted that the Constitution stipulates the procedure for the election of the Senate President.

    To him, the best thing for the party to do is to zone the slot of Senate President to a geo-political zone and allow the zone to make its choice.

    Ndume, who said he was not desperate for the position, plans to consult his colleagues on the way forward.

    Ndume said: “We were surprised on Monday when the national chairman of our party told us a decision had been taken to adopt Ahmad Lawan as candidate from the Northeast for the position of the President of the Senate.

    “The reason why I am shocked and I am sure that is the feeling of my colleagues, is that the constitutional provision for the emergence of the leadership of the Senate is clearly spelt out.

    “Section 51 (a) of the Constitution says that “there shall be a Senate President and Deputy Senate President who shall be elected by members of the House “.

    “Section 1 of the Constitution clearly states that ‘this Constitution is binding on all Nigerians and government agencies’.

    “It went further to say that any other law that contravenes the provision of the Constitution is null and void.

    “As a party that is supposed to be democratic and as a government that insists on allowing due process to prevail, this is strange. A candidate of APC normally emerges by one of three means, namely- consensus, indirect elections and direct primaries.”

    Ndume said he had tried his best and was “leaving this to God and those who elected me. I am going home to consult with elders who gathered themselves and asked me to contest. I will consult with them and then take a final decision.

    “The party has taken a decision.  I ultimately wait on the decision of Almighty God and my colleagues. That is what I will say for now.”

    Asked to explain what he meant by waiting for his colleagues to decide his fate, he said:  ”You should not be confused. The constitution is clear. It says the Senate shall elect its president and deputy.

    Read also: Buhari, APC chiefs endorse Lawan for Senate President

    “Like I said, my decision to contest for the position of the Senate President is not personal. Even my colleagues encouraged me to run. Not just the elected ones. They said I should vie for the position.  Even then, the party didn’t say it had elected Ahmad Lawan.  It only said it has nominated Lawan.”

    “I am not the one saying this. It is the decision of my colleagues.  I am one of those offering themselves to contest for the position.  I can’t even nominate myself.  Someone has to nominate and second me.

    “I can’t say that a candidate has been imposed on us. The decision is now left for my colleagues.”

    Ndume said: “I am not desperate.  I remain committed to the ideals and principles of President Muhammadu Buhari because he has been my mentor.  I don’t have a godfather, but I am a party loyalist.”

     

  • Our members can vie for positions in N/Assembly, says PDP

    The national leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday said that its federal lawmakers elected into the Ninth National Assembly can contest for leadership positions in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

    A statement by the spokesman for the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, said despite their minority status, opposition lawmakers are constitutionally eligible to seek election into any of the presiding positions in the bicameral legislature.

    Specifically, the main opposition party stated that the positions of President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker are not the exclusive preserves of any political party, but a constitutional right of every elected lawmaker in both chambers.

    Presently, the PDP has about 42 senators elect in the upper chamber while the All Progressives Congress (APC) has 65 so far. The Young Progressive Party (YPP) has one. In the lower chamber, APC has about 222, against PDP’s 110 with about 10 seats shared among a number of fringe parties.

    The PDP said, “It is therefore laughable and amounts to empty grandstanding and self-delusion for President Muhammadu Buhari and the National Chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole, to posture as if the presiding offices and committee chairmanship in the National Assembly are exclusive rights of the APC.

    “President Buhari and Oshiomhole should wake up to the fact that the National Assembly belongs to no political party but to all Nigerians, who exercise their control through their elected representatives.

    “For emphasis, Section 50 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) is clear in providing that ‘There shall be:- (a) a President and a Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves; and (b) a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves’

    “Section 92 (1) makes the same provision for the election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of State House of Assembly.

    “The PDP, therefore, does not only have a constitutional say in the process of the emergence of the leadership of the 9th National Assembly, but will, as a matter of constitutional right, field candidates into presiding offices of both chambers, if need be.

    “The PDP wishes to remind President Buhari and Oshiomhole that the APC had in the past benefited from the provisions of section 50, with the defection of then Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Aminu Tambuwal from the PDP to the APC, in October 2014, without relinquishing the speakership of the House to the PDP; a development that was applauded by President Buhari, as then opposition leader as well as the APC, through its then National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed.

    “In fact, the former Minority Leader of the House, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, echoed the Constitutional provision that when he said the constitution requires only that the Speaker or Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives shall be elected by members of that House from among themselves”.

    “Moreover, in June 2015, Hon. Terkimbi Ikyange and Hon. Peter Azi, both of APC, were elected Speakers of Benue and Plateau State Houses of Assembly respectively, though their party, the APC, was minority in both Houses”.

    The PDP insisted that the only party offices in the legislature are the Majority and Minority Leaders and Deputy Leaders as well as Majority and Minority Whips and Deputy Whips.

    The party cautioned President Buhari, Oshiomhole and the APC to respect the independence of the legislature, end their imposition plot and to stop sowing seeds of discord among the lawmakers, saying such is directly against the overall national interest.

  • 100 senators-elect, 338 House members get certificates of return

    EXCEPT the court decides otherwise, Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha will not represent the Imo West Senatorial District when the Ninth National Assembly is inaugurated on June 8.

    He was not among the senators presented with Certificates of Return (CoRs) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja yesterday.

    INEC had said it was not going to recognise the Imo governor as the senator-elect over claims by the Returning Officer (RO)that he announced Okorocha as winner of the February 23 National Assembly election under duress.

    Following the RO’s report, INEC placed an embargo on Okorocha’s victory at the poll.

    The governor and his Ogun State counterpart, Ibikunle Amosun, have been suspended by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for alleged anti-party activities.

    They backed the candidates of other parties against the APC’s in the March governorship election. Okorocha backed his son-in-law Uche Nwosu of the Action Alliance (AA) against APC’s Senator Hope Uzodinma. Amosu supported Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied People’s Movement (APM) against Prince Dapo Abiodun, who won the poll.

    INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu called for the reveiw of the electoral law ahead of the next general elections in 2023.

    In his opening remarks at the presentation of the CoRs, Prof. Yakubu noted that the commission will soon begin a review of the 2019 polls.

    He said: “As a matter of urgency, the commission will begin work on post-2019 elections review and road map to 2023.

    “There is a lot of work but very little time available. As a process governed by law, the success of election in Nigeria depends to a large extent, on the electoral legal framework and, most importantly, in ensuring adherence to the law.

    “I want to assure you that we will continue to work with the National Assembly to review and strength on our electoral law.

    Read also: Tribunal grants Buhari, APC access to poll items

    “But, I want to appeal to the senators-elect to please start work early and conclude work on electoral framework in a good time well ahead of the 2023 general elections.

    “The tendency to delay electoral reform, particularly the review of electoral framework until it is too close to the elections,  leave the commission with little time to deveop processes, including regulations and guidelines, make required consultations with stakeholders, embark on effective voter education, including sensitisation, train staff and organise deployment for the elections.

    “I am glad that among the senators-elect are senators that we have worked very closely with and some of them have taken initiative or even sponsore private member bills to advance the cause of electoral reform.”

    INEC also issued certificates to all elected members of the House of Representatives.

    Some of them promised to give their best in representing their constituents.

    One of them, Ahmed Maje, a fourth time member of the House of Representatives, representing Wase Federal Constituency of Plateau State (APC), pledged better representation for his constituency.

    Yemi Adaramodu, a former Chief of Staff to Ekiti State Governor, elected to represent APC Ekiti South Federal Constituency, described his election as a call to greater responsibility.

    He said: “I am going to ensure that empowerment of our youth and women are given priority ,” Adaramodu said.

    Mrs. Blessing Onuh, elected member (All Progressives Grand Alliance (Otukpo/Ohimini Federal Constituency of Benue State, said she would empower women and ensure access to education for youths.

    Onuh is former Senate President David Mark’s daughter.

     

  • Saboteurs won’t lead Ninth National Assembly, says Presidency

    The Presidency yesterday disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari and his government will not allow saboteurs to occupy the leadership position in the Ninth National Assembly.

    A senior aide to the President dropped the hint on condition of anonymity.

    According to the aide, the President will ensure that only persons selected by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) will be Senate President and other principal officers of both the Red and Green chambers.

    “Even as the President has no preferred candidates for the position of the principal officer of the parliament, he is ready and willing to support the decision of the leadership of the party in line with worked out zoning arrangements”, the aide said.

    He said the Presidency had never had it smooth with the relationship that existed between it and the leadership of the eight National Assembly and will, therefore, not fold its arms while another set of unfriendly characters take charge in the next dispensation.

    He said: “Be rest assured that the President will not micro-manage the process electing the National Assembly leadership but he will not allow the lawlessness that happened in 2015 to repeat itself.

    “The President will allow the decision of the party to remain supreme. Once the party zones the positions, he will give maximum support to it.

    “It is not like before, now, the decision of the party is supreme. You see what has happened to the two governors. In the past, this won’t have been possible.

    “What I can tell you is that the President doesn’t have any preferred candidates.”

    At the beginning of the Eighth parliament, Senate President Bukola Saraki and house of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara, emerged against the arrangement of the APC leadership.

  • Saboteurs won’t be allowed to lead NASS, says Presidency

    The Presidency on Wednesday disclosed that President Muhammadu Buhari and his government will not allow the emergence of saboteurs in the leadership of the ninth National Assembly (NASS).

    This was disclosed by a senior aide to the President on a condition of anonymity.

    According to him, the President will ensure that only persons selected by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) emerge as President of the Senate and other presiding officers of both the red and green chambers.

    Even as he declared that the President has no preferred candidates for the position of the principal officer of the parliament, he said that he is ready and willing to support the decision of the leadership of the party in line with worked out zoning arrangements.

    He said the presidency had never had it smooth with the relationship that existed between it and the leadership of the eight National Assembly and will therefore not sit to fold its arms while another set of unfriendly characters emerge in the next dispensation.

    He said “Be rest assured that the President will not micro-manage the process electing the National Assembly leadership but he will not allow the lawlessness that happened in 2015 to repeat itself.

    “The President will allow the decision of the party to remain supreme. Once the party zones the positions, he will give maximum support to it.

    “It is not like before, now, the decision of the party is supreme. You see what has happened to the two governors. In the past, this won’t have been possible.

    “What I can tell you is that the President doesn’t have any preferred candidates,” he said.

    At the beginning of the eight parliament, Senate President, Bukola Saraki, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, had emerged against the arrangement of the APC leadership.