9th Senate: APC In Fresh Fight Over NASS Leadership …Leave Saraki Out Of Your Jostle, PDP Tells APC …‘PDP Senators, Members Free To Seek Any Office’

As the battle for leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly rages on, there are indications that the All Progressives Congress (APC), currently in control of majority seats in the chambers, is still far from putting its house in order.
Less than 24 hours after the party’s National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole gave the lawmakers a stern directive that they should align with Senator Ahmad Lawan and Rep Femi Gbajabiamila as the party’s choice for Senate President of the 9th Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively, one of the top contenders for office of Senate President, Ali Ndume, yesterday, criticized the decision of the APC and the Presidency to adopt Ahmed Lawan without any consultation with the APC senators.
Briefing journalists, yesterday, in Abuja, Ndume, who was the minority leader in the green chamber in 2007, and former majority leader in the current 8th Senate, faulted the decision as being unconstitutional, saying he and other likeminded APC senators left the meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari, disappointed.
Describing Oshiomohle’s declaration as shocking, Ndume cited section 50(1A) of the 1999 Constitution (amended), which reads, “There shall be a President and Deputy President of the Senate who shall be elected by the members of that house from among themselves”, to justify his argument.
He noted that by the provisions of the Constitution, both the Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, President Muhammadu Buhari or any other party leader, has no such powers or right to force a Senate President or Speaker on the elected senators or Honourable members of the House of Representatives.
His words, “What took place at the presidential dinner in Aso Rock on Monday night where Oshiomhole, as party chairman, announced Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon Femi Gbajabiamila as President of the 9th Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively was very shocking to me and many of my colleagues.
“Oshiomhole, in making the announcement or endorsement, did not even allow myself or Senators Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) and Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West), widely known to be in the race for the position, to say anything.
“More disturbing was the fact that even Senator Ahmed Lawan endorsed for the position, was not allowed to make any comment in form of acceptance speech or soliciting for support from other interested senators”, he said.
Meanwhile, the caucus of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the Senate has called on their counterparts in the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop dragging the name of the incumbent Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, into the schemes and plots by senators-elect of the ruling party over who gets elected into the leadership of the Ninth Senate.
In a statement signed by Senate Minority Leader, Senator 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 as if Saraki was seeking to play a role in who occupies the various leadership posts in the next Senate.
The PDP Senate caucus warned that 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.
The statement read in part, “We have noted with regret and surprise how some senators who are interested in becoming the next Senate President and those seeking to occupy various leadership positions in the next Senate have been busy dragging the name of the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, into their schemes for fulfilling their ambitions. We believe those involved in this dirty game are only afraid of the shadow of the Senate President.
“Such people should know that Dr. Saraki is not interested in their plots, schemes and manipulations. His concern now is to continue to provide leadership to the Eighth Senate and to ensure that the Senate achieves as much as is possible in the remaining two months of its tenure.
“It is obvious that many senators and even senators-elect still defer to Saraki. And this is understandable because he is a national leader of the PDP. He is a respected senator who has also provided solid leadership for the Senate. So, those who are afraid of his influence should find a positive way to deal with that, not sponsoring falsehood in the media.
The PDP senators, who went further to explain their gathering at Saraki’s residence last week, said it’s already a show of weakness on the part of those who raised allegations of plots against their real reason for gathering at the Senate president’s house.
“Last week, PDP senators paid Dr. Saraki a visit in his home as a way of encouraging him and in recognition of the personal sacrifice that he has had to make for providing strong and purposeful leadership to the National Assembly, for protecting the independence of the legislature and judiciary, separation of powers, inclusiveness in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious Nigeria and working for the creation of a conducive environment for business to thrive. Those who are not sure of their grounds in their quest for Senate leadership are busy putting a spin on that visit.
“Let it be known that no matter the mischief being sponsored by these spineless people, Dr. Saraki knows that it is the duty of all senators in the Ninth Senate to elect their Senate President and other leaders. Nobody from outside the Senate has such powers. It is also the right of every senator to aspire to that position as stated by the constitution. He has benefitted from this practice of senators within the chambers exercising the right. He is conscious of this fact and will not be a party to any plan to seize or interfere with the process of evolving the leadership of the Ninth Senate.
“The APC gladiators and their handlers should leave Saraki out of their schemes and manipulations. They should go and concentrate on how to convince the senators-elect and ensuring that the election of the next Senate President takes place in a conducive atmosphere with a view to strengthening the institution and making it perform its constitutional roles, without any hindrance”, the caucus stated.
Also, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says its elected senators and members of the House of Representatives are constitutionally eligible and can seek election into any presiding office of both chambers of the National Assembly.
The PDP notes that the position of the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives as well as the Deputy Senate President and the Deputy Speaker are not the exclusive preserves of any political party, but a constitutional right of every elected lawmaker in both chambers.

Nneka Amaechi-Nnadi, Abuja