Still on incoming 9th NASS

USING  NTA Tuesday Live, the  Nigerian Television  Authority talkshow, as a barometer for measuring the pulse of the nation about government policies and its actions, it was clear penultimate Tuesday where the All Progressives Congress (APC) stands on the  leadership tussle for the incoming 9th National Assembly members soon to be inaugurated by first week of June, 2019.  The preponderant opinion on the programme, including that of the callers, was that the ruling party, if it does not want a repeat of 2015 when the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), a minority party, took over the leadership of the National Assembly at its expense, must act differently. The panel of discussants included the former Minority Leader in the House of Representatives, Honorable Muhammed Kumalia, Honorable Idahosa West, Barrister Daniel Hassan Bwala and Amuda-Kannike Abiodun, professor law at the University of Port -Harcourt. The APC and its National Assembly members, particularly senators, have been at loggerheads over the party’s directive that all members should queue behind the Senate Majority Leader, Ahmed Lawan, to succeed Senator Bukola Saraki as Senate President in the coming 9th assembly.

At the moment, there are two major contestants for the post. Senator Ahmed Lawan, a ranking member, is from Yobe State. Senator Ali Muhammed Ndume, also a ranking member, hails from Borno State. The topmost position was zoned to the North-East where the two contestants hail from. While the ruling party has announced its preferred choice  in Lawan, it also warned of the consequences that awaited members who would act otherwise. Umar Anarhin, who called from Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, derided the APC chairman, Adams Oshiomole, for saying that the National Assembly members faced possible expulsion should they fail to fall in line of the party directives. He said: “The party is not a trade union that Oshiomole may be thinking he is leading. It is like he is comparing the party to a union, which is totally different. It is not a matter of forcing a candidate on others. Why not lobby, meaning you beg, negotiate until consensus is reached. The way he is going about it, I won’t be surprised if the minority becomes the majority.”

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According to Honorable West Idahosa, the leadership of the National Assembly should be allowed to emerge within, as leadership that is forced on the members is often sacked, especially if it doesn’t meet up with the expectation of the members. For Idahosa, it is unwise for the APC to issue threats, especially when it does that in the media.” Former minority leader, Honorable Mohammed Kumalia, stated that it was the responsibility of the political party to ensure there was consensus among all members vying  for any position, especially where you have more than one or two members indicating interest in the same position. To him, “if you can through persuasion, engagement, dialogue, narrow the contentants to one or two, such that the other candidate drops his ambition, that is okay. But in a situation whereby you try to force a particular candidate on his colleagues, all other contestants for the same position are seen as outsiders. It creates  tension which ultimately brings about the feeling of independence among the members.”

Professor Abiodun agreed that the party has a big role to play in who emerges as principal officers in the National Assembly to the extent that it is only a political party that is allowed by the constitution to sponsor candidates for elections. He said that once the various positions have been zoned by the parties, everything is off its table. “I think they should engage other people who have interest in the same position, let them see reasons why they should step down. It is a democracy, not a military where it is command and obey,”he said. Barrister Bwala, in his submission, believed that only a shadow election among all the contestants could reduce the unnecessary tension the said election is presently generating.

In 2015, the majority leader position was zoned to the North East. Two persons vied for that position at that time. Incidentally, it was the same Lawan and Ndume. A mock election was conducted in the office of Senator Goje. Lawan got one vote. Ndume got 11. Lawan got to the National Assembly in 1999. Ndume got there in 2003. Ndume got elected to be Minority Leader Shortly after. When both persons got the Senate, it was the same Ndume that was first elected as Majority Leader. Lawan got the seat because of consensus and more importantly, because the party insisted. By custom, party positions are shared based on commitment and loyalty of members. It was Ndume who in supporting the policy against the wishes of his colleagues in the Senate got suspended and was even stripped of his leadership role. Lawan was the beneficiary of that suspension. The same Ndume was chosen as Director, North-East of the Muhammed Buhari Presidential Campaign where he ensure that the North East was delivered to the president. He delivered all the local government areas under his south senatorial district to the party.

Lawan lost one of the local government areas to PDP. So, when it comes to rewarding loyalty and commitment, Ndume should be considered. However, Ndume is reported to have said that if the party does not want to support his aspiration, it should make the contest an open one where everyone can go convince their colleagues and be voted for. The way the party is going about it, it looks like Lawan, if he becomes the Senate President, will be at the whims and caprices of the executive. At the moment, Lawan, has not released a ready-made agenda for the chamber he is being pushed to lead, other than by word of mouth. On the other hand, Ndume is reported to have since released what he termed  “My agenda for the 9th Senate”  to the media last week.

• Adedayo writes in from Lagos