National Assembly Leadership: Why we are delaying zoning – APC chair, Adamu

The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has revealed why the ruling party is delaying the zoning of the leadership of the 10th National Assembly until after Saturday’s governorship election.

Adamu said the ruling decided to meet after the governorship election to discuss the issue of National Assembly leadership to prevent a repetition of what happened in the 8th Senate.

He stated this during an interview with Daily Trust.

“During the last meeting we had with the National Assembly members-elect, we made it very clear that we need to sit down after the governorship election to discuss the issue of National Assembly leadership.

“There is nothing the president could do without recourse to the National Assembly. We suffered in the 8th Senate because some people beat the gun and we had a whole tenure in jeopardy. There was no peace between the executive and the legislature and that affected governance. But somehow, we managed to meander through the crisis-ridden National Assembly, and that happened because of selfishness.

“Some people just believe they want to lead the National Assembly. I don’t see anything wrong with having ambition, but unguarded ambition that is loaded with a spirit of betrayal and abuse of trust.

“The key players in the 8th Senate said there was no clear directive from the president as regards zoning the leadership of the parliament, hence what happened…

“This is because they beat the gun.”

Now, lawmakers-elect are already grouping, and there is fear that if zoning is not released on time…

“But what do you call zoning released on time? The election is still on, and the inauguration of the National Assembly is sometime in the second week of June. So, why the hurry? There is nothing wrong with you consulting or presenting yourself to your colleagues; but why beat the gun?

“We don’t want the 8th Senate experience to happen this time. It was a very bitter lesson. At the last meeting with the lawmakers-elect, we told them very clearly to wait for the president-elect and the leadership of the platform on which they were elected.”

“If there’s the need to link up with other parties to increase our membership in the National Assembly, the party will do so. But for God’s sake, don’t beat the gun. We have a very delicate situation on our hands, and we have to be very careful how we handle it.”