SQUABBLES, even fisticuffs, are considered
“normal” in legislatures all over the democratic
world. Here in Nigeria, issues of power and money
sharing are constant factors behind every open
confrontation among our lawmakers.
The eighth National Assembly has been bedeviled
from day one with crises. Clashes between rival
factions of the majority All Progressives Congress
(APC) in the National Assembly have made it
difficult for the federal lawmakers to settle down
to serious business. The Party had fielded
Senators Ahmed Lawan and George Akume as its
preferred candidates for President of the Senate
and Deputy President respectively. For the House
of Reps, it preferred Hon Femi Gbajabiamila and
Hon Tahir Monguno.
The party insisted that having its anointed
candidates occupy the principal offices of the
legislature would enhance party discipline and
enable the APC to deliver on its campaign
promises to Nigerians.
However, members of the Party interested in the
posts, especially Senator Bukola Saraki (Senate
President) and Hon Yakubu Dogara (Speaker of
the House) argued that the constitution
prescribes that officers of the legislature must be
elected by the members in the legislative
chamber. During the elections that took place on
June 9th, Saraki was elected Senate President
while a member of the People’s Democratic Party
(PDP), Senator Ike Ekweremadu became the
Deputy. The House of Reps elected Dogara as
Speaker, with Hon Yusuf Lasun emerging as
Deputy Speaker.
The fracas in the House on June 25th forced
Speaker Dogara to adjourn sitting till July 21st
when the House could not elect its Majority
Leader/Deputy and Majority Whip/Deputy, a feat
the Senate was able to achieve.
The crisis in the National Assembly has wreaked
havoc, setting the APC leadership in disarray and
making it impossible for the federal legislature to
effectively start work. The period of adjournment
must, therefore be seen by the leadership of the
Party as an opportunity to settle the differences of
its members. Even though President
Muhammadu Buhari has appeared neutral in this
tussle, he must now wade into the crisis, bearing
in mind the need to carry every stakeholder in
the party along.
We are strongly in support of an independent
legislative arm, which must also be prepared to
cooperate with the executive for smooth
governance. Undue external influence destabilises
the legislature and predisposes it to manipulation
and corruption.
The task of fulfilling the APC’s electoral promises is
enormous. The terror attacks in the North and
high crimes have ballooned since the new
government took over. The economy is also
waiting to be tackled. The only way forward is for
the party to present a common front and
encourage the citizenry to support its efforts.





http://www.vanguardngr.com/2015/07/ending-the-national-assembly-crisis/

Nice writeup Nice writeup

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