The ruling party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), has go into war of words over plans by  Bukola Saraki, the Senate President. and Yakubu Dogara, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to intervene in the process that will lead to the emergence of their successors.

The APC stated earlier on Wednesday that it is aware of the antics of Saraki,Dogora and other PDP leaders to influence the emergence of the next Senate President,Speaker of the House of Representative and other leaders of the 9th National Assembly.

 

 

It said the alleged plot not to ensure APC endorsed candidate did not win the principal post in the forthcoming 9th National Assembly would fail woefully.

This was stated by Yekini Nabena, the party’s National Publicity National Secretary in a press conference in Abuja.

He disclosed that “The APC has learnt its lesson from the outgoing National Assembly when impostors masquerading as party men sabotaged our party and hijacked our mandate. Affliction shall not rise up the second time.

“The efforts of the Adams Oshiomhole leadership of the party are commendable in achieving a fair selection and zoning arrangement that appeals to a greater section of the party stakeholders.

“The APC is the overwhelmingly majority party in the National Assembly and has a legitimate right to make its choices on the selection and zoning of principal offices.

“The APC family is in agreement on the party’s supremacy and the PDP and other opposition parties should focus on their minority positions.”

Kola Ologbondiyan, the  PDP National Publicity Secretary, disclosed that the allegations by the APC displayed that the party leaders dis not understand the concept of democracy and the principle of seperation of powers and the way the parliament should work ‘
In an exclusive interview with the press Ologbodiya pointed accusation at President Muhammadu Buhari and APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole of interference with the election of the principal officers of the legislative chamber.

 

“It is laughable for him to have made such a submission. It shows that they do not understand the workings of democracy. It might interest him to know that Adams Oshiomhole, on the day that the Senate and the House of Representatives will be convoked, may end up sitting at the gallery. So maybe, he will read out the names of his own presiding officers from the gallery or in his dream at home.

 

“…They are the ones creating problems in the parliament. They are the ones who said they would not recognise the party that has over 40 senators in the process of the day-to-day activities of the National Assembly. They are the ones who do not understand how presiding officers are elected in the National Assembly and they claim they will go and read out names on the floor. So, they can never accuse the PDP of interference.”

He added, “The interference is coming from the Presidential Villa and the APC. They want to subdue the independence of the parliament in a manner they tried to subdue the electoral wishes of Nigerians. What they should understand is that the PDP is a democratic party and the PDP is in agreement with Nigerians who have decided to live their lives as democrats. So we would not allow them to suppress the wishes of the people.”

 

 

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