Intrigues as 10th Assembly is being inaugurated
June 12, 2023
The 10th National Assembly is set to be inaugurated on Tuesday, less than 24 hours away.
This marks a new chapter for the country, especially in terms of the Legislature, which is the bastion of democracy.
The 10th National Assembly is expected to be inaugurated by the Clerk of the Assembly, Magaji Tambuwal, through a proclamation by the President, Bola Tinubu.
This empowers the Lawmakers to go ahead with the election of presiding officers for the Assembly and to receive all communications from the Presidency.
Before now, the senators-elect had gone through orientation on the workings of the National Assembly.
In a bid to have credible principals in the assembly, many Senators and Senators-elect have indicated interest in the race.
For instance, Senators Orji Uzor- Kalu, Godswill Akpabio, Ali Ndume, Sani Musa and Barau Jibrin had shown interest to be Senate President or Deputy Senate President.
Senators Osita Izunaso and Abdulaziz Yari are also in the race.
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had zoned the Senate Presidency to the South-South, with Senator Akpabio being the target beneficiary while Senator Jibrin was endorsed for the post of Deputy Senate President.
This move is being resisted by some of the Lawmakers who have not hidden their disagreement with the party leadership on the issue.
In this regard, Senator-elect Abdulaziz Yari has insisted that it is his constitutional right to contest for the post of Senate President.
He said the position taken by the Party was against the constitution and the standing order of the Senate.
According to him, the constitution empowers the lawmakers to elect their principals.
Similarly, Senator Orji Kalu has said he is not ready to withdraw from the race, insisting that as a ranking senator, he’s more than qualified to be the Senate President in the 10th Assembly.
He also mentioned that he was in partnership with Senator-elect, Yari’s group for more consultations.
This tussle has divided the legislators, leading to the creation of various groups, such as the Stability group, which is spearheading the nomination of Senators Akpabio and Jibrin, and the Senate Democratic Caucus, supporting the nomination of Senator Uzor Kalu and Abdulaziz Yari.
A cross-section of Senators-elect say they want experienced people who would bring the much-needed transformation to the Senate.
A former Governor of Ogun State, now elected into the Senate, Gbenga Daniel said Nigerians must be committed to electing credible leaders who have the interest of the nation.
Also, Senator-Elect Abdul Ningi from Bauchi said that the success of a nation depended on how strong the Assembly was.
Meanwhile, there have been moves by President Tinubu to resolve the differences.
The case in the incoming House of Representatives has not been different as various gladiators have been angling to clinch principal offices, with the most-coveted speakership not left out.
Many chieftains of the APC have expressed worry that if the situation is not brought under control, it may lead to a repeat of the errors that led to the emergence of principal officers who were not the party’s choices in the 8th National Assembly.
As the New National Assembly commences work, many Nigerians want it to demonstrate a different spirit, not least one that heralds a greater deal of National interventions in various sectors of the Economy.
Writing by Amaka Ene; Editing by Victorson Agbenson, Daniel Adejo and Tony Okerafor
