Budget presentation row shows Saraki, Dogara have lost grip of NASS ― Kayode Ojo

An All Progressives Congress (APC)  governorship aspirant in the last election in Ekiti State, Engr Kayode Ojo, has said the jeers hurled at President Muhammadu Buhari during the budget presentation held on Wednesday signposted that the leadership of both chambers have lost grip of the two hallowed chambers.

 Ojo said Nigerians were disappointed that the federal lawmakers, who were to be role models to Nigerian youths threw caution to the winds in the name of partisan interest, describing the scenario as dangerous and inimical to the unity of the country.

 The APC Chieftain urged the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki and the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, to begin to live and act like statesmen and prevent a whole arm of government institution and a symbol of national unity from being dragged into the murky water of politics. 

 He was reacting to the booing of President Buhari  allegedly by lawmakers of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) extraction while presenting the N8.83 trillion budget estimate at the National Assembly, while the leaderships watched helplessly as the jeers continued.

ALSO READ: NASS leadership meets INEC boss

 Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Ojo said such sordid scenario was never witnessed under former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan in spite of the existing cleavages in the National Assembly at that time.

 Ojo stated that budget proposal being submitted by  President Buhari was for the progress and wellbeing of over 180 million Nigerian citizens, and not for a few members of the two chambers.

 He said it was a strong indication that those who chose to exhibit hooliganism in the hallowed chambers when budget was being presented belonged to category of politicians who sought positions for personal aggrandizement and not for the Nigerians’ wellbeing.

 The APC chieftain added that it would be erroneous for the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and those opposed to Buhari’s reelection bid to gauge the APC presidential candidate’s popularity by the event, saying winning election as tortuous and wide like presidential goes beyond the confine of the National Assembly.

 “What we saw on Wednesday at the hallowed chambers was a show of shame. Our leaders must know that Nigerians are becoming more enlightened by the day and their democratic awareness has gone up and putting up such ignominious conduct could dissuade our people from participating in electoral system.

 “Most worrisome was the fact that Senator Saraki and Hon Dogara watched helplessly as the PDP lawmakers began their interruption by singing against the President in a derisive manner before the ruling APC lawmakers joined to cheer him, thereby making the place uncontrollable.

 “It is sad that rather than raising the stake of our democratic credentials, we are descending to the abyss through morbid politicking and hate speeches from our leaders. After 19 years of unbroken democracy in Nigeria, we are having the most divided and politicized National Assembly in Nigeria’s history under Senator Saraki and Hon Dogara and posterity shall judge them.

 “By way of configuration of National Assembly, it wasn’t that the federal lawmakers were not divided as we are witnessing under the administrations of Obasanjo and Jonathan, but they did it with caution, credibility and respect for national unity.

 “Saraki must learn from how Senator David Mark piloted the Senate for eight years. He allowed politics when lawmakers were lobbying for passage of bills and taking of positions on issues of interest to parties, but never allowed politicking when decisions were to be taken on issue of national interest like budget presentation”.

 Ojo appealed to Saraki and Dogara to quickly tender apologies to President Buhari and Nigerians and also take steps to rein in lawmakers that are fast desecrating the hallowed chambers by their conducts and utterances.

 “No matter what anybody does on the floor of the National Assembly, it has no pernicious effect on President Buhari, because only the Nigerian electorate have  the capacity to decide his political fate and not a few renegades masquerading as political leaders”, he added.