Politics
Tenure Elongation : Hope lost for Oyegun as Senators, House of Reps members backs Buhari’s decision
Members of the Senate and House of Representatives on Sunday endorsed President Muhammadu Buhari’s withdrawal of support for the extension of the tenure of the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress.
The lawmakers said Buhari simply did what most party faithful had expected him and other national leaders of the APC to have done long before.
According to them, the APC has not been in order since the National Executive Committee meeting, which extended the tenure of the National Chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, and other members of the NWC, was held.
By making an open pronouncement backing out of tenure elongation, the lawmakers argued that the President had helped to salvage the party from an “impending doom.”
The members, who spoke both on and off the record, insisted that as a political party in government under a constitutional democracy, it must lead by example in applying the tenets of democracy while conducting its affairs.
The Majority Leader of the Senate, Senator Ahmad Lawan, stated that the APC must consider Buhari’s position on the party’s NWC to prevent the dire consequences that would follow its dismissal.
Lawan said, “The President, no doubt, is the supreme leader of the APC and there is no doubt that he always has the utmost interest of the party at heart. Therefore, if the President presented such a thing to the APC, it is very important for the stakeholders to look at it because there is no room for frivolities when it comes to this kind of a very dire situation, which has its consequences.
“If we don’t heed the advice of the President and then go ahead to elongate the tenure, it could lead to very undesirable consequences. The President is right for taking that position.
“The President is not used to talking all the time. So, when he talks we must listen.”
Also, the Majority Whip of the Senate, Senator Sola Adeyeye, said the constitutional issues raised by Buhari against the tenure elongation were valid.
“I agree with him. I am not a lawyer but my lawyers have told me that the action taken by the NEC (to elongate the NWC’s tenure) contravened the law; it contravened the spirit of the law of the party and the stipulations of the constitution concerning registered political parties.
“So, if anything borders on illegality, I do not want my party to commit it as it will have serious, adverse consequences later on,” Adeyeye stated.
At the House of Representatives, the Chief Whip, Mr. Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, said the tenure extension idea was a big mistake in the first place.
He added, “My view on this was unequivocally clear right from the day we held the NEC meeting, which I am a member. Mr. President, as the supreme leader of the party, has always propagated the exercise of transparent internal party democracy.
“He has consistently been a proponent of respect of the rule of law, through compliance with the relevant provisions of the constitution of the party and that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“In my opinion, Mr. President’s recommendations on the matter must be allowed to hold. After all, his pronouncement as the leader of the party should be taken as an irreversible order.
“The APC as a party will head for doom if it dares to undermine the true position of the law in this respect.”
Ado-Doguwa, who is from Kano State and the leader of the majority North-West Caucus, clarified that jettisoning tenure elongation did not mean that Oyegun and the other NWC members could not contest their seats again.
“We can of course, if the people so desire, bring back whoever may want to re-contest his or her position at all levels.
“But, we will have no alternative whatsoever to holding a democratically-organised congresses at the moment.
“Already, the party had designed a schedule for these congresses. I wonder why the NWC at a point derailed from doing the right thing,” he added.
A former Kogi State governorship running-mate on the platform of the APC, Mr. James Faleke, held the same views.
Faleke, who is the Chairman, House Committee on Customs and Excise, noted that there would be credibility questions for the APC if it could not comply with its own constitution.
He said, “The President’s decision was apt and right. He based his reasons on the constitution of the party and the supreme constitution of the land; the Nigerian constitution.
“Anyone who wishes to re-contest should follow the rules.”
Faleke, who represents the Ikeja Federal Constituency of Lagos State, added that this was the right time to address any wrongs in the APC.
Another member of the party from Edo State, expressed the same opinion.
Speaking in confidence with The PUNCH, the lawmaker stated, “This extension was a mistake from the beginning.
“It has been discussed by the party faithful in hushed tones for a while now. It is good that we are all coming to terms with the reality.”
A similar position was taken by another member, who did not want to be named as well.
The member said, “We told them before that this thing (tenure extension) will come to haunt us.
“Finally, we are here. It is good we take the appropriate steps and have enough time to begin full preparations for the 2019 polls.”
On Thursday last week, Oyegun had abruptly called off a scheduled meeting with the APC caucus of the House.
The members, led by the Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, were already seated when words came from Oyegun, putting off the meeting.
There were no immediate explanations for his action, but sources hinted that the national chairman was not sure of the reception he would get from the members.
The meeting came up less than two days after Buhari had earlier on Tuesday, written the NEC to withdraw his support for tenure elongation.
Breaking: Speaker Obasa Debunks Allegation Of Spending N17b On Assembly Gate
The Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, on Thursday described the allegation that the House spent N17 billion on the fixing of a gate as spurious and funny.
A self-proclaimed group, Lagos State Anti-Corruption Coalition, had accused the Assembly of spending the amount to construct a gate. The group also sought investigation of the claim.
Speaking at plenary, Dr. Obasa said the allegation stemmed from the fear of some people over 2027 which is still more than two years away.
Obasa further debunked the claim that the House spent N200 million on its recently organised 22nd thanksgiving service for staff.
“It is so funny. How much is the allocation of the Assembly in the whole year that we will decide to spend N17 billion on a gate? They even claimed that we expended 200 million on thanksgiving that did not hold.
“We are aware that at a period like this when we are approaching elections in 2027, we should expect such things. I think some people are scared and I don’t know why.
“This House did not and has not embarked on any such project. We are not that reckless. We had our thanksgiving last Friday and dignitaries from various parts of the State attended it,” the Speaker said.
Addressing further claims by the group about the alleged relationship between him and the chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, the Speaker denied attending the latter’s screening and confirmation by the National Assembly.
“They said that I was at the National Assembly when they were confirming the EFCC chairman. I want to believe that there are CCTV cameras at the National Assembly to identify those who attended the event. The press must have written about it too. So the group should do more to confirm if I was there.
“This is just to deny the allegations in the interest of the public and not the writers because the writers are not those we should be joining words with,” the Speaker said.
Earlier, the House, through its spokesperson, Hon. Stephen Ogundipe, had addressed the allegations noting that the Assembly bases its activities on integrity, transparency and accountability.
“It is ludicrous the claim about constituency intervention funds and constituency project funds and their handling by Speaker Mudashiru Obasa and Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko as claimed by the group.
“One would have expected a self-acclaimed anti-corruption crusading group to do its groundwork before jumping across the fence with conviction that it hit a jackpot to malign an institution of repute in the name of politics.
“Simply put, the Lagos State House of Assembly does not have any such funds. The Assembly does not embark on constituency projects. Instead, once every year, the House holds stakeholders’ meetings simultaneously across the state where constituents have the opportunity to tell the lawmakers their expectations and make requests for the betterment of the state.
“These requests and expectations are compiled and sent to the executive arm of government for consideration as inputs in subsequent budgets. If this is what the group takes as constituency intervention or project funds, we are sure this explanation has given the required education, moreover, it is common knowledge that it is the responsibility of the Executive arm to execute such projects,” the earlier statement by Ogundipe read.
Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.
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