Convener of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), Ango Abdullahl, has weighed in on the leadership tussle of the 10th, stating that elected members should be autonomous.
The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had picked Godswill Akpabio and Jibrin Barau for the Senate president and deputy.
It picked Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu as Speaker and deputy respectively.
But, speaking to newsmen yesterday in Abuja, the former vice chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University, said external forces would tinker with the smooth operation of the legislative arm.
His words: “Now we are at a point where the National Assembly is supposed to have leaders. Each chamber of the National Assembly is independent to decide how this should be done.
“But the basic foundation is the Constitution of the country which stipulates very clearly that there would be such an institution and how it will be formed and provide its leadership. As far as we know, all concerned should adhere to the Constitution. All concerned here is the National Assembly, on deciding who would be the Senate President, the Speaker and other positions.
“The National Assembly is an autonomous body and decides its own leadership and mode of operation as long as it is within the context of the Constitution of this country.
“If we should advice people who care for this nation, the National Assembly members-elect should be left entirely alone to decide who their leaders would be.
“We would like to appeal to our leaders, friends and associates in parties and government that this is an honest advice and that the National Assembly should be free. This is the kind of democracy we require.
“The ruling party is not in charge of the National Assembly. The NASS is an independent body. The ruling party only has members in National Assembly and they may direct for them to do their bidding but they should also allow those who do not belong to the ruling party to also exercise their rights.
“Their rights include demand for the leadership of the NASS. I think this should be respected. I commend Tinubu for accepting that the National Assembly is an independent body and that whatever they decide in their internal affairs will work with the Executive in running the affairs of this country.”
