Godfathers will not produce Speaker of ninth House of Reps —Mwadkon

Honourable Simon Mwadkon was a member of House of Representatives from 2011 to 2015. He won in the 2019 elections to represent Barakin-Ladi/Riyom Federal Constituency in the lower chamber of the National Assembly. In this interview with ISAAC SHOBAYO, he speaks on issues bordering on the speakership of the ninth House of Representatives.

 

WHY did you return to the House of Representative, having been there between 2011 and 2015?

In 2015, I was to return to the National Assembly but given the exigencies of that time, it was not possible and the agitation has been there since 2015. Finally, the people prevailed on me this time around and I had to bow to pressure to contest. I think what motivated them was the representation I gave them when I was in the National Assembly between 2011 and 2015.

 

I want to believe that you are abreast of most of the intrigues and dynamic associated with the politics in the lower chamber, why is it that election into leadership positions, especially the Speaker, often breeds tension?

The tension is caused by the ruling party. The national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, went on air to make a pronouncement which is now in the public domain, encouraging members of APC to take the entire leadership of the National Assembly and the entire committees chairmen and that none should go to the opposition party. That statement alone created tension within and outside the National Assembly because the working of the National Assembly is not the way Oshiomohole is looking at it. The National Assembly is an institution on itself; no leader or Speaker will win and take the entire leadership to one party and survive. No matter the overwhelming majority they have, they still need everybody because we are going to discuss issues that deal with the survival and progress of Nigeria as a nation, not that of a political party. Each and every one that is contesting for the position of the Speaker knows full well that he or she cannot, in anyway, take all these things to one political party.

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Some group of people, both within and outside the National Assembly, are of the opinion that it is politically wrong for the South-West to have the position of the vice president and at the same time be clamouring for the speakership of the House of Representatives. What is your opinion on this?

The speakership should be based on merit; that is one argument. Some people are arguing that Honourable Femi Gbajabimila, having been in the House of Representatives for the fourth times now and he is presently the House leader and also a high ranking member merits the position. Some are also saying that the principle of federal character where every section of the country should be recognised to promote peace should be applied while another set of people are saying let there be equal distribution of all these key positions from the presidency downward among the geopolitical zones in the country. This set of people is clamouring for somebody from the North-Central and I think there is a sense in this.

But I want to say that the person that would emerge as the Speaker would not be determine by any governor, president or even by the power brokers in any of the geopolitical zones but he will be Speaker that would be as a result of the wishes of members of the National Assembly. I am from the North-Central. I feel that people from this zone are being marginalised. Since the inception of democracy as far back as 1999, the North-Central has not had any key position in the National Assembly, whether that of Speaker or any other important positions. So, the agitation by the zone for the speakership position now is appropriate.

 

From all indications, campaign for this speakership position has gone beyond the members but how can the interference of political godfathers be minimised?

I want to tell you that it would be played down because the APC has exposed Gbajabiamila. There was a meeting held and Mr President was there and they said they were giving it to the South-West and he was the only person from that zone contesting for this position and that was not strategic at all. It was like the scenario that played out in 2011; the political gladiators and the godfathers wanted Mulikat Akande as the Speaker; even the party at that time put up a posture that they wanted her. But at the end of the day, she lost because the legislature would not want a stooge; they didn’t want somebody that would be answerable to the executive 100 per cent. So I foresee a situation where the godfathers may not succeed in this case.

 

But in a situation whereby the chunk of members are first timers and majority being members of the ruling APC, don’t you think they can easily be influenced?

Meetings are going on. I think the new members are a little bit higher than returning members but the National Assembly deals with zonal caucuses, state caucuses and these caucuses at the zonal and states levels are educating their members on how to vote. I remember we have had several meetings of the North-Central and that of Plateau State and the main issue in our meeting was that we should not vote based on any sentiment. We must be sure that the person that would emerge as Speaker must be a person of proven integrity and also be sure that he will carry us along in the scheme of things. Even the new members, based on my interactions with them, are not novices; many of them have been speakers, lawmakers in their respective state Houses of Assembly; some were local government chairmen, while some others are strong technocrats from the private sectors. They cannot be easily manipulated to do the biding of any godfather. As the APC has overwhelming majority of members, they should not take the opposition for granted because the person that the opposition would support will be the person that will become the Speaker of the House, given the fact that there are three or more people from the APC contesting for the position. From all indications, they are not ready to step down for one another, though horse trading is going on, but then, those who have indicated their interest to contest are not ready to back out of the race. So, the APC have to be careful with the opposition.

 

Some people have dismissed the position that the North-Central is being marginalised on the premise that the position of the Senate President was dominated for more than eight years by the zone and that it should leave the speakership position for other zones. What is your position on this?

Our concentration here is on the House of Representatives. We have to appreciate the senators for recognising the North-Central for eight years or more but then we are talking of the House of Representatives. We are bent on the zone producing the Speaker, given the composition of power in the country presently. The president is from the North-West, Vice President from the South-West and the APC has also zoned the Senate Presidency to the North-East. So for fairness, I think the members should allow somebody from the North-Central to occupy the position.

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has commences the process of ministerial appointments, what dimension do you think the process should follow this time to avoid the pitfall of the past?

The problem of appointment of ministers is the problem of the constitution. The constitution gives power to the president to appoint his ministers, though subject to the ratification and approval of the National Assembly, particularly the Senate. It would be recalled that some people who were appointed were sent to the Senate but were rejected based on security reports they have on them or based on their educational background but the president still allow them to continue in office in acting capacity. A typical example is the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). So it is difficult for the legislature and judiciary to decide for the executive; the president in particular has the sole responsibility to pick who should be minister, we can only advise him.

However, the President, this time, should look at the credentials of the people he intends to appoint as ministers because they are the engine room of the government. I am advising that Mr President should look at the credentials of the people and downplay issues like religion and ethnic sentiments in such appointments. I am not saying the president should jettisoned federal character, but he should go for the best in each state of the federation.

 

Your party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Plateau State is presently enmeshed in deep crisis. What is the way out of the logjam?

There is no party that is not in crisis; the APC is also in crisis, though it may not be well pronounced. I am not aware of the details for now, but I want to assure you that the issues at stake would be resolved amicably. I believe we would come out of the crisis very strong.