Controversies and discordant tunes have continued to dog the choices of Senator Godswill Akpabio and Tajudeen Abbas as Senate President and Speaker House of Representatives respectively of the 10th National Assembly by the All Progressives Congress (APC), as stakeholders remain divided over the party’s decision.
While some members-elect and legislative aides are pushing for their candidature, some interests, including those from the North central and some civil society groups are kicking against the party’s decision.
…Pro-Abbas’ group visits
And in the midst of all this, the APC said it was still consulting on how best to go about the whole process ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly as the pro-Abbas lawmakers-elect stormed the party’s national secretariat in a solidarity visit to the National Working Committee (NWC) Tuesday in Abuja.
Receiving the group, the APC national chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, warned the members-elect to stop addressing the endorsed speakership aspirant as the Speaker for now, adding that the party is still consulting.
“I want to make one correction so that we will not be misrepresented. A quite number of you have referred to Hon. Abbas as the Speaker. Please, please he is one of the aspirants. He will become a speaker on the day of proclamation. The laws guiding that office are very clear, he will earn that on the day of proclamation by the President and Commander-in-Chief. The Clerk to the National Assembly will conduct election. There is no option than the election.
“When he comes out of that election and they raise his hand and when he is sworn in by the Speaker, that nomenclature becomes most appropriate. Wait. Continue doing your good work.”
Welcoming the delegation, Adamu said: “After reporting to the National Working Committee the discussions we had with the President-elect and leaders like the Vice President-elect, the Senate President, the Speaker; my humble self, the National Chairman of the party, my Deputy North, Deputy South and the National Secretary of the party, I reported our deliberations, and it was clear in our declaration that there is need for further and better consultations.
“We have received all the other aspirants for the President of the Senate and the Speakership of the House of Representatives. I, on behalf of my colleagues, wish you the best of luck.”
…Abbas speaks
Speaking during the visit, Abbas who represents Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna state, assured of his commitment towards the protection of the interest of the party, the institution of the legislature and the entire country.
He called on the party leadership not to rest on their oars in replicating the successes recorded in the recently held general elections by delivering the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.
In his remark, the Co- Chairman of the Joint Task 10th Assembly, Hon. Usman Kumo, assured that the duo of Abass and Benjamin Kalu would coast home to victory with over 250 out of 360 available votes of newly elected members of the House of Representatives.
Kumo who chairs the House committee on Police Affairs, insisted the decision by the party to settle for the duo of Abass and Kalu as House Speaker and Deputy Speaker was in tandem with international best practices.
Kumo said the decision by the party was well thought out as the duo do not only have the right temperament, but also the requisite competence and experience to preside over the affairs of the House of Representatives.
Assuring that his team would do all within their powers to ensure their emergence, he warned against the repeat of the acrimonious relationship that existed between the legislature and executive arms under the Senator Bukola Saraki-led National Assembly.
“The Joint Task – 10th Assembly is a group of members-elect of the 10th House who came together for the unity of the country and the stability of the House. You people are talent hunters, and you have hunted well.
“On Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, from 1979 to date, there is no parliamentarian in Nigeria who was privileged to sponsor 74 Bills. What we want to do now is to promote synergy between the Executive and the Legislature. Out of the 74 Bills, 21 were signed into law.
“The chairman of our party is the number one witness that if you go against your party, you may not represent your people well. We intend to promote this product because we need that synergy and harmonious relationship. Our zonal interventions and constituency projects are implemented 100% under the 9th Assembly because of the good relationship between the Executive and the Legislature.
“All of us here are more than willing, the ones you see here, others have left for their constituencies after the induction. We would have brought over 250 members-elect here. We are going to ensure that we implement your zoning undiluted 100 percent,” Kumo said.
…Legislative aides back APC
Also, the Forum of National Assembly Legislative Aides from North West has called on Senators and Members – elect contesting for leadership positions outside the choices recently made by the APC NWC to step down.
The forum made the call Tuesday in Abuja at a special press conference within the premises of the National Assembly.
The forum, in its statement signed by Zonal Leader Abdulrazaq Dunkawa and Secretary Silas Gabriel Garba said Northwest deserved the two presiding officers’ positions zoned to it for contributing the highest number of votes to the APC in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“We Legislative Aides from the North West like to place on record that the geo – political zone contributed the highest number of votes to the APC in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“Results from the elections show that North West played crucial role of keeping APC in power by securing the majority of Honourable members and Distinguished Senators in both chambers.
“The Zone no doubt rightly deserves the zoning made by the party as far as leadership of the 10th National Assembly is concerned.
“We therefore call on other contestants to allow for party supremacy to establish discipline , order and legislative democracy to thrive in the 10th National Assembly,” they said.
…Groups kick
In the contrary however, a coalition of civil societies led by the Network Against Corruption and Trafficking (NACAT), has asked the anti-corruption agencies to probe the administration of Senator Akpabio over alleged corruption while he was governor of Akwa Ibom state.
It therefore asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission(ICPC) to initiate a probe of the former governor.
Briefing journalists Tuesday in Abuja, the body’s Executive Director (Legal), Mr. Justice Ojefia, said: “Barely months after leaving office, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) pounced on Senator Godswill Akpabio over allegations bothering on wanton looting of the Akwa-Ibom State Treasury.
“Stakeholders have embarked on a comprehensive investigation of the State Account between 2011-2015 and uncovered financial infractions and irregularities ranging from circumvention of procurement processes, suspicious payments of monies, possible money laundering, to award of contracts to non-existent companies.”
The coalition further said: “How will the APC accuse the PDP government of wasting 16 years of our nationhood and still reward a PDP-man in Mr. Godswill Akpabio?
“How will Akpabio be allowed to preside over the same Senate when he accused the entire Senators as being behind the corruption in NDDC during the NDDC probe?
“Giving Akpabio Senate President mandate is to whittle down the fight against corruption as he will enact laws that will weaken the EFCC and ICPC since he has cases with them.
“The nation is dominant of three tribes, namely Hausa, Yoruba and Igbo. It is unfair to deny the Igbos the number three positions in the land whether they bring votes or not, when they have ranking Senators of APC extraction, who have not been tainted with corruption.”
The groups were later at the EFCC and ICPC headquarters to submit details of fresh findings on the financial infractions and irregularities uncovered during their investigation of the Akwa-Ibom State Treasury.
“We cannot sit back and watch corrupt individuals continue to plunder our national resources without consequences.
“The fight against corruption is a collective responsibility, and we will continue to do our part to ensure that those who engage in corrupt practices are brought to justice,” they said.
…It’s witch-hunt
But when contacted, Akpabio’s Chief Press Secretary, Jackson Udom, described the allegation as a witch-hunt meant to scuttle the ex-governor’s ambition for Senate Presidency.
Udom said: “Investigation is not conviction. Every public officer could be investigated after leaving office and that is the right thing to do. Senator Akpabio left office right years ago after a meritorious service to Akwa Ibom State and his legacies and performance as the State Governor from 2007-2015, are still visible in all nooks and crannies of the state.
“The question then is, why this letter to the EFCC now? Why all these blackmail and lies now? The answer is not far-fetched. Akpabio wants to be Senate President, he remains the candidate to beat and he must be brought down at all costs by those who can’t match his acceptance by his colleagues.