N/Assembly Crisis: The distortion of APC’s “change” philosophy- Levinus Nwabughiogu

Believe it or not, a typical Nigerian politician is a desperado. That’s precisely what those jostling for positions within the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly -Senate and House of Representatives-have shown. But where does that take Nigeria to? Read to know how some elected representatives have smeared the change philosophy of the All Progressives Congress, APC. Call them schemers, you won’t be making a mistake. Call them avaricious politicians, you will be accentuating what is obvious. By their behaviours, they have shown they are no less a bunch of desperadoes, pretenders and terrible power mongers who would prefer to pull down the roof until their selfish interests are accommodated. They have shown that an insignificant number of 360 or 409 can hold over 170 million people to ransom. They have shown that it was not all about governance but politics. They have shown that the animalistic behaviour is still in them. By their unyielding actions, they have distorted the meaning of the word “change”. May be, they still need some tutorial on change. Somebody still needs to remind them that change isn’t about displacing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP or getting victory but about managing it, about accepting the unusualness for greater good. That is change. But this is what many of the federal assembly men and women especially from the stable of the All Progressives Congress, APC do not know and so, have decided to keep the country immobile in the last one month. How can anyone admit that all is with Nigeria when the lawmakers elected to enact laws for the country have brazenly engaged themselves in unending fireworks, throwing tantrums over positions within the leadership of the assembly? What sort of benefit is accrued to the offices that the two factions in the House of Representatives wouldn’t bulge for peace sake? In case, you don’t know, the crisis rocking the House is not over yet. Your Honourables, yes, your Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila and Speaker, Yakubu Dogara’s camps of supporters are still fighting dirty over who gets the four principal officers positions in the Green Chamber. The Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip. The camps have defied every entreaty by the Aminu Tambuwal mediatory committee to shift grounds. *-New caveat-* At first, Gbajabiamila’s camp insisted that the four positions must be theirs, citing Party supremacy. Amid pressure, Dogara’s camp eventually shifted grounds and relinquished the House Majority Leader’s position among others but with a caveat that it must not be occupied by someone from South west or north east. Their reason according to their spokesman, Rep. Abdulmumuni Jibril is that Dogara has taken the slot of the North east while his deputy, Rep. Yusuf Lasun has also filled South West Slot. They advocated for federal character which would allow other geopolitical zones to benefit so as to establish a sense of belonging. Read their position as espoused in a communique through “The House Consolidation Group” “The attention of the House Consolidation Group has been drawn to a statement issued on behalf of some members of the APC that lost the recent election for the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Group wishes to make the following clarifications: *That in the election of the House principal officers, every geopolitical zone of Nigeria deserves to be represented and it is embarrassing for some Members of the House to dismiss the issue of equitable representation as “hogwash”. *The argument that the the South East Zone produced only two “new” members, who do not have cognate legislative experience and therefore not entitled to be represented in the principal officers cadre of the House is most inaccurate and unfortunate. In the first place, any person acquainted with the Rules and practice of the House knows that a new member is regarded as having “cognate legislative experience” immediately he is sworn in as a Member as it is only new members- elect that are affected by the Rule. Secondly, established precedents in the Senate and House of Representatives show consistent respect for zonal representation in the election of principal officers, even when there are only a few from a zone. It is as a result of this , that the 7th Senate, elected Senator Ayoola Hosea Agboola, Deputy Chief Whip , even though he was the only Member from his party from the South West. Furthermore, in the 7th House of Representatives, Hon Mulikat Akande, was made House Leader even though she was one of only five members from her party from her Zone. Even only recently, in the 8th Senate, Senator Francis Alimikhena, from the South South has been made Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, a principal officer , even though he is a “new” member and the only member of APC from the South South. *In any case, apart from the South East being denied a principal officer position, the so called Party position completely shut out the North Central Zone with 33 APC Members. This so called Party position, if allowed to stand , would result in the South West producing the Deputy Speaker and Leader of the House and North East would produce Speaker and Chief Whip of the House. This is most unfair and inequitable. In fact , there is no evidence that any of the Organs of the Party, APC, such as the National Working Committee, the National Caucus or National Executive Committee, approved such an unjust outcome. We insist that this is not even the Party position. *For the avoidance of doubt, we need to correct the erroneous assertion that there was a resolution at the recent NEC meeting of APC on Party supremacy that recognized any one as House Leader or any other principal officer of the House.. The matter was not an item on the Agenda of the APC NEC meeting and no such resolution or decision was taken.” But the advocacy was repudiated by Gbajabiamila’s camp. Read their position submitted through APC Loyalist group “We the 174 APC Loyalists group of the House are aware that there was a private discussion between Gov. Aminu Tambuwal and President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday evening at the State House . Also aware that Gov. Tambuwal briefed the press that there would be a meeting between him and Speaker Dogara’s group same day. “To the best of our knowledge, no counter-offer has been made to the APC Loyalists group after her first meeting with Tambuwal peace committee wherein the APC Loyalists clearly stated that in line with party supremacy resolution reached at last APC NEC meeting, the position of the party on Femi Gbajabiamila as the House Leader is non negotiable. “We understand that the Dogara group is now playing the zoning card after same group had hitherto before the speakership election of June 9th, 2015 rejected the zoning formula of the party prior to the mock election. Interestingly the six geopolitical zones in the country are not recognised by the constitution. But if they wish to play the zoning card then the Senate and House cannot be headed by the North.” Where does this leave Nigeria and the people? Of what impact would the discrepancies make on the common man on the street? When will this brouhaha end? Following the unending fireworks, Saturday Vanguard sought the views of some Nigerians on the matter and a possible way out of it. Hear what they have to say. President Buhari should step in – Dr. Chekwas Okorie, National Chairman, United Progressives Party, UPP “The leadership crisis in the National Assembly is unfortunate and could have been avoided. It appears that the only uniting factor that brought the three or more Political Parties that pulled together to form the All Progressives Congress (APC) was the singular desire or ambition to grab power at the centre and edge out the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that had been in power for upward of 16 years. The fact that the Parties in APC are strange bird fellows and lack ideological affinity is what is playing out at the National Assembly, and if not handled with care, may spill over to the larger society and dot every inch of the way of the APC in any government they control from the Presidency down to the Local Governments. This scary scenario portends danger to our nascent democracy and is likely to generate wide-spread confusion and acrimony within the rank and file of the ruling APC and by extension the Nigerian people. “It is a common saying that when two elephants fight the grass suffers. The tragedy of the unprecedented situation is that the elephants that are fighting all belong to the All Progressives Congress while the more intact and cohesive PDP are lurking in the wings waiting to strike at the APC where it will hurt it most at an opportuned moment. I have had cause recently to advise the leadership of the APC to accept the outcome of the high- wired politics that played out in the National Assembly which resulted in the emergence of the principal officers of the Assembly who are not the preferred principal officers of the All Progressives Congress. The fact that all the key officers except the Deputy Senate President are bonifide members of APC should be consoling to the Party. The leadership of the APC does not need to be reminded that the Party’s control of the National Assembly is marginal. It does not enjoy the overwhelming majority that the PDP had when it was in power. Common wisdom therefore suggests that APC does not in this circumstance have the luxury of flexing muscles or being inflexible in the situation it finds itself in the National Assembly. “Resolving the National Assembly crisis in favour of the democratic exercise of the Senators and members of the House of Representatives across Party lines will be in the best interest of the APC. I had expected APC leadership to refer to the matter as a family affair as the PDP would do in such circumstance and return to the drawing board to take stock and face the onerous challenge of cooperating and collaborating with President Muhammadu Buhari to deliver his campaign promises based on the Party’s Change Agenda. Anything short of this will distract the President and project APC as an accident that happened on Nigerian people. As a Leader of a friendly opposition party, the UPP, this is not what I will wish for the APC which hapless and long-suffering Nigerian people are looking up to for rescue. “There is always a day of reckoning for Party members who lack the discipline, commitment and loyalty to the Political Party on whose platform they won elections. In less than 4 years from now every politician seeking an elective office will have recourse to his Political Party for nomination or re-nomination. The critical factors of loyalty, commitment, discipline and contributions to Party growth and development are considered during screening exercises before an aspirant for political office is cleared to contest election on the platform of his political Party. “I wish to seize this opportunity to advise President Muhammadu Buhari to appoint as a matter of urgency a former Senator with the requisite experience and character disposition as Presidential Liaison Officer to the National Assembly. I dare say that such appointment is actually long overdue. The significant role such a Liaison Officer will play now and in the future in establishing a friendly link between the Presidency and National Assembly especially at times like this cannot be over emphasized. “I will further advise President Muhammadu Buhari to endeavour to give his government a shape and face in addition to his own as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces before proceeding to Washington to honour the invitation of the American President, Barak Obama. Many informed Nigerians were elated that President Muhammadu Buhari was invited to the recently concluded G7 Summit in Germany shortly after being sworn-in to office. That was a mark of respect and acceptance of his Presidency by the Super Power nations. It is a thing of joy that soon after the G7 Summit, the American President extended invitation to our dear President which definitely will be of immense benefit to the country. It is also a mark of respect and high regard for the President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari. I fear that the highly vibrant, independent and sometimes aggressive American media may confront him with questions on why he has been unable to form his government when there are no visible constraints restraining him from doing so. Such confrontation might constitute a deficit to such an important international outing. This advice is given in absolute good fate and for the best interest of our country’s image with no ulterior motive whatsoever.” Crisis unnecessary, diversionary and scandalous, Barrister Osa Director, Publisher, Nigerian Lawyers Journals “Certainly the crisis in NASS is totally unnecessary, diversionary and scandalous. Especially when you consider the circumstances that heralded this administration into office. The economy is in decline. There is infrastructural deficit, insecurity and youth unemployment ravaging the soul of the country and all you can get for now is in-fighting in NASS. Such situation is lamentable, insensitive and opportunistic. “However I am consoled by the fact that Nigerians are speaking their minds against such political banalities and inanity. The common Nigerian is the worse for it. But I am very sure President Buhari and APC will rise to the challenge being appreciative of the sentiments that brought them to office. Party’s directive must be respected by Speaker Dogara—Hon. Shuibu Phillips, Member, House of Representatives from Edo State. “As members of party supremacy group in the House of Reps, we are not unmindful of our primary reason for being elected which is to drive the change agenda of the APC. This is the reason why Nigerians elected us. The task of making laws to support the government of President Mohammadu Buhari must not be compromised on the alter of supremacy battle as to who lead the house or not. We are in a hurry to deliver on the change manifesto of the APC. However, we were presented to the Nigerian people for election by a political party in line with the provisions of the 1999 constitution. Therefore, the party is supreme and its wishes must be carried out by its members. “Concerning the current leadership impase in the House of Reps, there are three issues raised in the recent position of the Hon. Dogara Group. The issues are zoning and the need to exclude South West and North West from the Majority Leadership of the House of Reps. “We are of the firm believe that you cannot approbate and reprobate. The Dogara group canvassed against zoning in the election of the Speaker and Dep. Speaker, they have however now turned round to demand for zoning in appointing the Majority leader and other position. If you must come to equality, you must come with clean hands. “If we must revert to zoning to determine the majority leader and other position, we may also need to revisit the need for either the Speaker of the Senate President to resign since both positions should not come from the North in line with Federal Character. However, as members of party supremacy group of the APC caucus in the House of Reps. we believe that Nigeria has moved beyond the sentiment of zoning. We therefore would abide with the party directive to accept the Speakership of Hon. Dogara. The Dogara group should also reciprocate this peace move by accepting the list compiled by the party in line with the wish of the majority of APC members in the House of Reps. “They have also canvassed that the position of majority leader should be filled through an election. We agreed to this only to the extent that APC members of House of Representatives alone would be allowed to vote in the said election to be supervised by the party. “We stand firmly with the party and will defend its position on the leadership of the House of Reps with all the legitimate instrument at our disposal. For there to be peace and tranquility in the House of Reps, there must be justice. For there to be justice, the party position endorsed and supported by APC caucus members must be implemented by the leadership of Hon. Dogara. “We cannot continue to shift the goal post. Zoning today no zoning tomorrow, we must show in words and indeed that we are Honourable Members. Mr. Speaker should respect his party and do its will by implementing the list contained in the letter written to him by the National Party Chairman of the APC. “Precedents were set in the 7th Assembly when Hon. Tambuwa was elected and PDP majority member preferred Hon. Muriano but inline with the party directive and for peace to rain, Hon. Mulikat Akande was accepted as the majority leader. Also, in the 7th Assembly, one zone, North West in particular had more than one position among the principal officers. We should not deviate from this parliamentary tradition. For peace to reign and for the leadership of the National Assembly to play the expected role of making laws that would bring about change in Nigeria, we are left with no option but to toe the party’s position.” -*Buhari will not intervene, will respect the principle of separation of powers—Presidency-* Those who had thought that President Mohammadu Buhari would wade into the matter had been disappointed. The president on his own would have loved to but he is obviously restrained by constitution of the land which emphasizes the concept of Separation of Powers. Speaking exclusively with Vanguard, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina said president Buhari would not do more than following an established process, discarding calls for assertiveness of the president. “How do you become assertive when there is separation of powers? There is separation of powers between the Executive and the Legislature. The Legislature is an entity on its own. The Executive does not superintend over the legislature. So, you can’t be assertive over a place you do not supervise. So, I think to ask the president to be assertive over the legislature is to ask him to be a despot. It is to ask him to become a dictator and this president will not do that. “Don’t forget that yes he is the president of the country and he emerged on the platform of the APC, so it is in that spirit that he attended the NEC meeting last Friday at the party secretariat. He also said that when they called the BoT meeting, he will attend. But he cannot go and lord anything over them. He cannot. “He also emerged on the platform of that party. The party is bigger than everyone. That’s what is meant by party supremacy. So, party supremacy does not even allow him to lord it over anybody. He can only be part of a process to sort out whatever logjam, whatever impasse they have. “How can it further escalate than what we have now? Can it further escalate than what we have now? I don’t see that. The president is involved already because he has been meeting with various interest groups but he will not do beyond that. He is not going to ram anything into anybody’s throat because that will not be consistent with democratic ethos. He wouldn’t do that.” *-Last line-* From every indication, Nigerians are not happy with the turn of events in the House of Representatives. To the ordinary Nigerian, the mad crave for position is annoying and it is also inconsequential who occupies it. What he or she cares about is a healthy economy and secure environment to live in. The lawmakers can fight for all they want but let it not affect the polity. But can this be possible? Both Dogara and Gbajabiamila’s groups need to think again.