***Urges President to learn from Yaradua
***Declares, Yari will be President of the 10th Senate
Senator-elect representing Kano South on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Sumaila Kawu, has cautioned President Bola Tinubu, against imposition of leaders of the 10th National Assembly as it is dangerous for Democracy.
Kawu who is a former Presidential Liason Officer to the National Assembly, said it will be counter productive for the President to interfer with the selection process of presiding officers of the federal parliament.
Kawu, who addressed journalists in Abuja on Monday, went back memory lane to justify reasons Tinubu should steer clear of the selection process and allow members to elect their leaders according to the nation’s constitution.
He urged the President to recognise the roles and responsibilities of the three arms of government in achieving an overall national interest.
He said, “The constitution is explicit about how the President and Deputy President of the Senate shall be elected. For instance, Chapter 2 of the 9th Standing Orders of the Senate 2022 (as amended) stipulates the procedures for selection of Presiding Officers of the Senate.
“Similarly, Section 50(1)a of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) states that, there shall be a President and Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.
“Section 50(1)b stipulates that, “A Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.
“It is therefore clear that, the election of these Presiding Officers is purely an internal affair that concerns only members of the National Assembly and therefore, they should be allowed to decide who among them would occupy the positions in order to avoid repetition of the past mistakes – we may all recall the incidences of the 7th and 8th National Assembly.
“In my view, external interference in the election of the next Presiding Officers of the National Assembly would not only violate the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and Standing Orders of both the Senate and House of Representatives, but would also cause a serious misunderstandings between the Legislative and Executive Arms of government.
“Available information reveals that some desperate politicians are planning to use undemocratic means to impose Lawmakers-elect of their choice to become Presiding Officers against the wishes of the majority.
“This move is undemocratic, unacceptable and dangerous to our democracy as well as the nation as a whole.”
“I want use this opportunity to draw the attention of Mr. President to this unfortunate and undemocratic move by some elements to temper with the laid down procedures.
“Similarly, I want to also call on other Stakeholders, Civil Society Organisations and International Communities to stand firm in ensuring democratic consolidation in Nigeria.”
He said the 10th National assembly is entirely different from previous Assembly because the margin between the ruling Party and the minority parties in the senate is 52% to 48%.
“The Minority has 50 while the ruling party has 59. When you go to the House the minority parties are 183 and majority 177.
“What I am saying is that if you have a clear majority you can do your zoning select your candidate without consultation but in a situation like this where you don’t have the clear majority and there are so many interest in Nigeria now.
“Some are there to ask for physical Federation, some are there to promote true federalism, some are there to ask for State police and so many other agitations.
“The best way is to allow the members of the National Assembly to decide who will be their speaker or the Oresident of the Senate then at the end the President as a politician he will invite the leadership and work with them
“Let him learn from President Yaradua, this is what President Yaradua did and he succeeded. “We stayed with Yaradua for three years, I was in the leadership of the House of Representatives. We constantly met with him on some issues but there was no time he interfered.
“The issue of Etteh in the House was one of the serious issues but Yaradua said no let the House of Reps do their work.”
He also reminded President Tinubu that the Senate made up of people who were former governors, who were his colleagues.
“We have over 20 years experience in this business. Do you think you will dictate to us on what to do. I have the specific agenda of Kano South people vis a vis Kano State. Do you want me to just discard the interest of my people and follow somebody in Abuja?
“Let us meet on the 13th of June 2023 in the chamber, we will tell Nigerians who we are. By God’s grace on 13th june the new Sl President of the 10th Senate is Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari from Zamfara”