AHEAD of the inauguration of the 9th Senate, horse-trading has begun between the campaign team of Senator Ahmad Lawan and one of the aspirants from Northeast over the presidency of the upper legislative chamber.
This development is believed may pave the way for a sole candidate for the headship of the chamber.
According to a source, the discussions, which commenced at the instance of the aspirant were held last week in Abuja and “initial interactions showed that in the coming weeks both camps will have a cheering news to announce to APC leadership and Senators-elects.”
The source revealed that it would take a couple of weeks for final agreement to be reached because of some politi- cal complications like both senators coming from the same geo-political zone, a situation that would shut the door of membership of principal officials of the Senate against the aspirant. “In the light of the political reality, he came with a request that he should be given the chairmanship of Appropriations Committee for the consideration of Senator Lawan and his camp,” the source who was privy to the meeting said. The source said that the camp of Senator La- wan while welcoming the development pleaded for time to consider the request as wide consultation was needed to be made before taking a final decision.
The source also claimed that some officials at the national headquarters of the APC in Abuja have been briefed of the development, saying that the move was made by the aspirant because of the stand of the party on the emergence of the President of the 9th Senate. Meanwhile the Society for Grassroots Political Participation has called for adherence to international best practices and party system in the emergence of the leadership of both the Senate and House of Representatives. The group in a communique noted that adherence to internationally recognised best practices in the emergence of the headship of the legislature this time around would save the nation from what it experienced in the 8th National Assembly. The communique is sued at the end of its “Roundtable Series” held in Ibadan and signed by Executive Secretary, Sewaola Johnson and the External Communication Officer, Musbau Alade, urged all National Assembly members-elect and political parties to ensure that “the foundation blocs on which other programme and activities of the legislature are cemented by proven parliamentary experience. “We urge political parties to put for- ward experience parliamentarians for the leadership of our National Assembly. Being a returning parliamentarian is not enough. Consideration must be accorded past legislative accomplishments of those to lead other distinguished Senators and honourable Representatives.” While lament- ing that lack of parliamentary experience was the bane of the leadership that emerged in the outgoing 8th National Assembly, the group likened years of experience in the legislature to wine which tastes better with age, adding that “political parties, worldwide, nominate their best eleven in terms of years of achievements at the committee level and caucus leadership positions to head the parliament.”
The body urged all political party to ensure, “if they have not, mechanisms for controlling, through party system, the nomination process and save Nigerians from the four yearly ritual of unnecessary heating up of the polity each time change in the leadership of the National Assembly is underway.
“Our political parties should explain to the members- elect the need to also follow the constitutional provisions and other parliamentary norms on the emergence of their leaders for the political health of the country to be well served.” The group noted that some states in the federation are experiencing similar, “although at a lesser degree, un- necessary tension over the headship of their various Houses of Assembly, blaming members-elect, who on winning their elections into the parliament, now feel “bigger than their parties.” The body called on all elected members into the legislative arm of government to consider ordinary Nigerians in the emergence of their leaders because of their powers of appropriations and appointments, which when exercised in the interest of the country, the wellbeing of the generality of the people would be taken care of by the government.