Sunday, May 15, 2011

Anxiety, As NASS Races To Choose Leaders

From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh (Abuja) and Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu (Benin City)

* Senators-elect Meet Over David Mark


Anxiety, As NASS Races To Choose Leaders

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* Bankole Endorses Muraina As Speaker

* Owie Backs Southeast For Speaker

BARELY three weeks to the inauguration of the 7th National Assembly, campaigns for the election of the next leadership of the chambers has overtaken other legislative commitments.

In the Senate, some Senators-elect are bracing up for a consensus candidate in Senator David Mark, as the Senate President. The national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also adopted his candidature.

In the House of Representatives, the contest is between Ajibola Muraina and Mulikat Adeola, both from Oyo State. It follows the decision of the PDP to allow the position of the Speaker to remain in the Southwest.

However, the former Chief Whip of the Senate, Chief Rowland Owie, at the weekend criticised moves by the PDP to cede the position of the Speaker to the Southwest.

He argued that the position should go to the Southeast where the PDP won "convincingly" during the general elections.

In order to take a stand in the raging politicking in the National Assembly, all Senators-elect are to meet next weekend, to harmonize positions on the matter.

Coordinators of the consensus talk have resolved to take their campaigns to a five-day Retreat and Induction Programme being organised for all Senators-elect across the country in all six geopolitical zones beginning from today.

A statement by Senators-elect Philip Aduda (FCT), Ita Enang (Akwa Ibom) and Ahmed Barata (Adamawa) advised all other Senators-elect to remain in contact and coordinated during the retreat.

The statement reads: "This is to inform all Senators-elect that the inaugural meeting of the forum, which was rescheduled for Saturday, May 14, 2011 has been further rescheduled.

"This postponement is due to the Retreat/Induction programme organised for all elected legislators in the various geopolitical zones across the nation by the National Assembly.

"However, consultations will be held at the various venues where the retreat is being held, as a prelude to the general meeting. The meeting will be reconvened when Senators-elect may have returned from the retreat.

"By this notice, all meetings of Senators-elect howsoever are hereby postponed. However, dear colleagues, the Secretariat of the forum at Protea Hotel, Apo Apartments, remains open for interaction and information during and after the retreat until the inauguration of the Senate."

Incumbent House of Representatives Speaker, Dimeji Bankole, said yesterday that he would support and campaign for whomever the national leadership of the PDP picks from the Southwest to succeed him next month.

The declaration comes on the heels of speculation that he has endorsed the candidature of Muraina for the number-four position in the country.

Bankole, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Bakare, said that as a loyal party man, he would not differ from the PDP on its choice regarding any leadership position in the House of Representatives.

The House had hardly settled down for the legislative business of the day when Bankole, on sighting Muraina said: "Honourable Muraina,  I can see you are already moving closer to the seat of principal officers now."

Muraina was discussing with the House Leader, Tunde Akogun, at the time of the remark.

Consequently, supporters of Muraina have been celebrating the open remarks by Bankole on Thursday, interpreting it to mean outright endorsement.

Although the PDP is yet to make public any statement on the person it endorsed between Muraina and Mulikat, the two have intensified efforts and have even set up campaign headquarters in Abuja.

Incidentally, the two have their headquarters at the same venue in Abuja - Protea Hotel.

Muraina's bid to preside over the House for the next four years got a boost on Thursday night following his endorsement by the Southwest Caucus of the House of Representatives.

It was, however, gathered that this move attracted negative reactions from some lawmakers opposed to his aspiration.

They are not happy with the support given by Muraina to former President Obasanjo during investigation over an alleged expenditure of $16 billion on the power sector by the Obasanjo administration.

A source said that the lawmakers are particularly worried that the PDP's poor performance in the Southwest during the general elections would continue to haunt its chances; a situation, which the source said is compounded by the seeming choice of Muraina as House Speaker-designate.

Nonetheless, Senator Owie has criticised moves by the PDP to cede the position of the Speaker to the Southwest, arguing that such arrangement would be unfair to the Southeast, which, he said, deserves the position.

Answering reporter's questions yesterday in Benin City, Owie said the current President of the Senate, David Mark, deserves to remain to stabilise the system, but the speakership should be ceded to the Southeast, which had more support for the PDP than the Southwest.

He said: "Nigerians should recall that when Obasanjo was President from the Southwest, one of the other zones from the South produced the Senate President. That was the Southeast.

"When Yar'Adua came from Northwest, one of the other two zones in the North - North Central - produced the Senate President.

"Now, the President is from the South-South; therefore, the logical thing is for one of the two zones in the South to take the Senate President.

"The ideal zone to take it should have been the Southeast. The Speaker of the House of Reps would have then gone to the zone that is not producing the National Chairman in the North.

"The midway alternative that the PDP must adopt will be to retain Mark as Senate President and the zone the Speakership of the House of Reps to the Southeast.

"The Southwest must not be in contention at all. After all, the Chairman, Board of Trustees (of the PDP) is from Southwest.

South East talk too much, Action speaks louder than words. Defect from PDP now and abstain from GEJ government.