Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect of Nigeria yesterday in Abuja boycotted the prospective leadership meeting of the 10th National Assembly for Lagos strategic meeting ahead of Saturday’s governorship elections.
The Labour Party beats the All Progressive Congress party overwhelmingly during the February 25, 2023 Presidential Elections.
Tinubu wouldn’t allow a repeat of that during this Saturday’s March 18 governorship elections, knowing that the President-elect has since 1999 hold on to Lagos State. He’s the acclaimed political strongman and god father in Lagos State.
But he had since February 25 realized that it’s not business as usual in Lagos when the APC lost to the Labour Party.
It was therefore not strange yesterday when his Vice-president-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima delivered his principal’s speech at the prospective leadership of the 10th National Assembly.
Although journalists were not allowed into the meeting, one of the elected members of the House of Representatives, Festus Adefiranye of Ileoluji/Okeigbo/Odigbo Federal Constituency of Ondo State, confirmed that Tinubu’s speech was read by Shettima.
On why the president-elect was absent at the meeting, another member-elect of the House of Representatives from Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency of Ondo State, Donald Ojogo, said Tinubu was busy working in Lagos ahead of the March 18 governorship and state assembly elections in the state.
It was gathered that while Shettima read Tinubu’s speech, the meeting was chaired by the party’s chairman, Senator Abdulahi Adamu.
President-elect, Bola Ahmed indicated in his speech that he has no preferred candidates for the leadership of the federal legislature to be inaugurated in June.
Tinubu made this known at the Old Banquet Hall of the State House, while addressing new members-elect to the National Assembly at a meeting organised by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Tinubu posited that he’s not interested in the composition of the leadership of the soon-to-be composed 10th National Assembly.
The Arise News reports that although there were speculations ahead of the meeting that it was convened by the ruling party to sort out the likely distribution of leadership offices in the two chambers of the National Assembly, to avert a repeat of the 2015 scenario in which the party lost control of the affairs within the chambers, despite having the most seats in both houses.
House of Representatives from Ilaje/Ese Odo Federal Constituency of Ondo State, Donald Ojogo, disclosed that Tinubu urged the lawmakers-elect to network among themselves to agree on the emergence of a leadership that would be agreeable to them.
According to him, Tinubu said whomever they came up with would be presented to the party leadership, which would ensure that such complies with the principle of justice, balance and equity, in line with the zoning arrangement of the party.
Speaking with newsmen after the meeting, the member-elect for Bungudu/Maru Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, Hon Abdulmalik Bungudu, said the issue of who would take office in the 10th National Assembly was not Tinubu’s priority for now.
Bungudu said the message delivered by Shettima, on behalf of the president-elect, was aimed at spurring members-elect to focus on the upcoming governorship and state legislative elections.
Bungudu stated regarding Tinubu, “For now, he said he doesn’t have anybody that he prefers to have as Senate President or Speaker, but consultations are going to continue to get the way out for the party and to also ensure the party emerges victorious in the forthcoming governorship and Houses of Assembly elections.”
But some of the senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect, who spoke to journalists after the meeting, disclosed that APC’s message to them had nothing to do with choices for leadership positions in the in-coming National Assembly.
Aside agreeing that the issue of zoning of leadership positions in the National Assembly was not a point of discussion at the meeting, the members-elect, who turned up in an their number, confirmed that the focus of the meeting was on next Saturday’s governorship and state legislative elections.
Four of the members-elect, who spoke with newsmen, including Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila; Senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume; Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District, Mohammed Sani Musa; and the member-elect for Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji Federal Constituency, Aliyu Sani Jaji, all said the focus was next Saturday’s elections.
On his part, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa said, “This is a family affair meeting and it went very well. The national chairman and the vice president-elect welcomed all elected National Assembly members and we appreciated the thoughts they have given us, that we should all go back to our various states to make sure that come March 18, we are able to present our governorship candidates to the people so that on that day, they will emerge victorious.
“It is a family affair. This is not the right time to talk about zoning. All we need now is to consolidate our victory. We have won the presidential and we should be able to take at least a minimum of 30 states.
“After the governorship election, we are going to gather again and by then we’ll take stock of what we have achieved and then the zoning system that the party wants to adopt will be given us. The party agrees that all members will agree with what the party decides.”
“The issues of zoning did not come up. The Nigerian government now is going to be the National Assembly government, because the president, vice president, party chairman, and secretary are all senators. So, we are going to have a rancour-free relationship.
“What we agreed is the members of the National Assembly should produce their leadership, based on who they think is the best and also considering the issues at stake and putting in place justice, fairness and equity. The president-elect will at the appropriate time take his decision.”
Senator Mohammed Sani Musa said, “This is a family affair meeting and it went very well. The national chairman and the vice president-elect welcomed all elected National Assembly members and we appreciated the thoughts they have given us, that we should all go back to our various states to make sure that come March 18, we are able to present our governorship candidates to the people so that on that day, they will emerge victorious.
“It is a family affair. This is not the right time to talk about zoning. All we need now is to consolidate our victory. We have won the presidential and we should be able to take at least a minimum of 30 states.
“After the governorship election, we are going to gather again and by then we’ll take stock of what we have achieved and then the zoning system that the party wants to adopt will be given us. The party agrees that all members will agree with what the party decides.”
Deji Elumoye in Abuja
Senator
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