Some civil society organizations have spoken out against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)‘s choice of a consensus candidate for the leadership of the incoming 10th National Assembly.
WITHIN NIGERIA understands that the CSOs have called on members-elect for the 10th National Assembly to assert their legislative independence to avoid a rubber-stamp parliament.
According to Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the president-elect’s and the APC’s move to impose leadership on lawmakers was an attempt to pocket the legislature.
Rafsanjani told Daily Trust that;
Some of the people endorsed by the party for leadership have corruption allegations against them; having them as presiding officers in the legislature will neutralise anti-graft fights and will further erode the public image of the parliament.
What the president-elect and the APC have done is to completely pocket the legislature and make them not only a rubber-stamp parliament but also an extension of the presidency.
He did, however, say that while CISLAC supported equitable zoning of National Assembly leadership seats, it opposed imposing individuals on lawmakers.
Dr. Sam Oguche, Director of the Yiaga Africa Centre for Legislative Engagement, stated that the National Assembly, as an independent institution, should be allowed to conduct its business without interference.
Oguche submitted that;
We have party supremacy and legislative independence. Now, elections have been concluded and upon inauguration, members become independent; the legislature is independent. By our constitutional framework, the legislators are to elect their leaders, not the party. There is nothing in the constitution that stops a legislator from a minority party from even becoming the president of the Senate; it is the choice of the legislators, not the party.
Similarly, the Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness reportedly told Tinubu and the APC to stop meddling in the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.
Dr. Nwambu Gabriel, the group’s leader, also chastised the APC for attempting to impose leaders on members-elect.
He said;
We are saying that interference in the process of electing the speaker, deputy speaker, the Senate president, or the deputy Senate president would amount to usurping the powers that were ab initio meant for the National Assembly.
An imposition of power will degenerate Nigeria to dictatorial tendencies; it is going to lead to tyranny and oppression and bring to mockery the principles of separation of power.
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