Weekend visit to Daura by former Zamfara State governor and Senator-elect, Zamfara West, Abdul Aziz Yari and his supporters are already causing ripples within the All Progressives Congress national secretariat and the National Assembly.
Yari is one of the major aspirants for the office of Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.
Checks revealed that the APC zoning template does not favour his aspiration as the APC National Caucus zoning template which had since been ratified by the national leadership of the party zoned the offices of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President to the South-South and North West.
The party also announced former Akwa- Ibom State Governor and Senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North West, Godswill Akpabio and Senator representing Kano North, Barau Jibrin, as its favoured candidates.
Incidentally, Senator Yari is from North West.
The aspirant had vowed to contest the election as he maintained that the zoning arrangement was a breach of the Federal Character Principle entrenched in the country’s Constitution. He also claimed that the North was about to be shortchanged in the power distribution in the Tinubu Presidency.
Checks revealed that Senators who accompanied Senator Yari on his visit to former President, Muhammadu Buhari cuts across the political parties divides.
A source at the meeting revealed that while it was to congratulate his host on the successful completion of his tenure, Senator Yari also broached the election for the leadership of the National Assembly which is barely two weeks.
“The team was well-received by a very jovial former President Buhari. The meeting was very lively and the team assured the former President that they were not in confrontation but committed to strengthening the legislative arm of government. ”
“At no point did President Buhari make any comment in disapproval of his guests. Recall that during his tenure as President, he allowed for the independence of the legislative arm and counselled that such a legacy must be sustained in the current dispensation. That is the essence of democracy.”
Meanwhile, a pro-democracy group, Coalition for Good Governance Network has warned against an alleged plot to abort the inauguration of the National Assembly.
The Parliament is expected to come to life after a formal proclamation by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Addressing journalists on Monday in Abuja, National Convener of CGGN, Remi Adebayo, alleged that forces whose interest to foist its favoured choices as presiding officers was under threat were bent on frustrating the inauguration.
Adebayo who acknowledged President Tinubu’s contribution to the restoration of democracy appealed to him not to surrender to such temptation being instigated by certain forces within the ruling party.
He said: “With the successful inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on May 29, 2023, and replication of the same in states where 28 Governors recently swore to fresh or renewed their Oath of office, we are convinced that the business of governance must commence on the part of the Executive while the Legislative Arm must not be caught dozing.
“We note the fierce contest among contenders to occupy crucial positions as Presiding Officers in the next session of the Nigerian Senate and House of Representatives. While admitting the right of the ruling party – APC, and the desire of President Bola Tinubu to work with select individuals who may be considered friendly to lead the Parliament, we, however, urge the President to resist whatever pressure that may be on him to withhold issuing the Proclamation Letter to the Clerk of the National Assembly (CNA) as at when due through which the 10th session of the National Assembly will come alive on June 13.
“We urge that the President align with the urgency of the task ahead, alongside the expediency to work in earnest with the lawmakers to engender good governance as a priority regardless of who emerged Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives since the parliament belongs to Nigerians and not individuals or political parties.
” We are confident that having himself emerged through a process enabled by the wishes and desires of majority Nigerians, who freely exercised their franchise through the ballot, President Tinubu should not toy with despotic tendencies that will foist leaders on the Legislative Arm of government against the spirit and letter of the principle of separations of powers as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“The President must resist antics and desperation from interested parties or so-called anointed candidates to subsequently heat up the polity by dancing to the tunes of people who want their opponents arrested, harassed or prevented from accessing the hallowed chambers of the National Assembly on Tuesday, June 13.
” The C2G-Network strongly align with lawful and democratic processes for the next Presiding Officers of the National Assembly to be elected, without resorting to intimidation or harassment of those seeking leadership positions or their supporters based on their democratic alignments or choices.”
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