Forum of National Assembly Legislative Aides from North West, has expressed displeasure with some members-elect in the forthcoming 10th National Assembly who have been carrying on as if they can exist without the All Progesives Congress (APC) the party through which they were elected.
They called on Senators and Members – elect contesting for leadership positions outside the choices recently made by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to back out.
The forum made the call in Abuja on Tuesday at a special press conference within the premises of the National Assembly .
The NWC of APC had in its zoning arrangements for the leadership of 10th National Assembly, picked Senator Godswill Akpabio from South – South, as preferred candidate for Presidency of the Senate and Senator Jibrin Barau from North West for Deputy President of the Senate.
The party in a statement signed to that effect by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka , picked Hon Tajudeen Abbas from North West for the Speakership position of the House of Representatives and Hon Benjamin Kalu from South East for Deputy Speakership position .
The zoning arrangement was however not respected by some other APC federal lawmakers – elect interested in the positions like Abdulaziz Yari from Zamfara West, who is vying for Senate Presidency, Sani Musa vying for Deputy Senate President, Muktar Betara, vying for Speakership of the House of Representatives etc
But in their support for the choices made by the NWC of APC, the National Assembly Legislative Aides from North West, said the party was in order for picking Senator Jibrin Barau for Deputy President of the Senate and Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas for Speakership of the House of Representatives .
The forum in its statement signed by its Zonal Leader, Abdulrazaq Dunkawa and Secretary, Silas Gabriel Garba , said Northwest deserved the two presiding officers’ positions zoned to it, for contributing the highest number of votes to the APC in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The statement reads in part: “We Legislative Aides from the North West like to place on record that the geo – political zone contributed the highest number of votes to the APC in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“Results from the elections show that North West played crucial role of keeping APC in power by securing the majority of Honourable members and Distinguished Senators in both chambers.
“The Zone no doubt rightly deserves the zoning made by the party as far as leadership of the 10th National Assembly is concerned.
“We therefore call on other contestants to allow for party supremacy to establish discipline , order and legislative democracy to thrive in the 10th National Assembly ” .