By TonyeBarcanista

I have observed the lobbying and politics surrounding the race for National Assembly presiding officers and I think it is incumbent on me to air my opinion on why NASS members-elect, Peoples Democratic Party and Nigerians should resist Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon Femi Gbajabiamila for the positions of Senate President and Speaker of House of Representative respectively.

1. Gbajabiamila Candidacy Is Against Equitable Distribution of Offices:
Having produced the Vice President of Nigeria, it becomes natural that another geopolitical zone in the country produce the number 4 citizen as it has been the tradition since 1999.

It may be recalled that at the return of the fourth republic, the Southwest produced the President, the Northeast had the Vice President, the Southeast had the Senate President and the Northwest produced Speaker of House of Representative and this arrangement lasted until 2007. Same tradition of equitable distribution was upheld in 2007-2011 when the Northwest produced the President, the Southsouth had the Vice President, the North central had Senate President while the Southwest had the Speaker through Patricia Etteh and Dimeji Bankole respectively. The arrangement was bound to be maintained until Aminu Tambuwal with support from the opposition as at then disrupted the arrangement, gifted the northwest 2 out of the 4 top offices and denied the Southwest and the entire south the position of Speaker. It however was restored in 2015 with NW (President), SW (VP), NC (Senate President) and NE (Speaker)

If those people in Bourdillon road that are fronting Femi Gbajabiamila candidacy were fair to the South and the nation, they would have presented someone from the Southeast or Southsouth for the position instead of another person from Southwest. The excuse that both zones didn't give APC ranking members or House members aren't tenable this time around.

Gbaja's candidacy is simply anti-south agenda by some sectional elements in Lagos. It is also anti-Nigeria agenda as it seeks to reward a particular zone with 2 out of the top for offices in the country leaving other 5 zones to scramble for 2 offices.

2. Gbajabiamila Candidacy Is Anti-Southwest:

The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has Lagos has his political base and he's more loyal to Lagos than his native Ogun state. Femi Gbajabiamila is also of Lagos state and his puppeteers want to make him speaker, meanwhile, there are other APC Rep members in Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo states but they ignored them and narrowed it to Femi so as to serve their own selfish interest. These same people refused to support Hon Lasun the outgoing Deputy Speaker even though he's Yoruba all through his four years tenure simply because he wasn't their anointed. It clearly shows that contrary to what Femi sponsors would want the people of southwest to believe, they are pushing Femi to represent them not the zone.

3. Northcentral Or Dogara Should Get Speakership:
Personally, I believe equity demands that the position of Senate President or Speaker should go to a Rep member from either the Southeast or Southsouth zone, but since this may not be feasible due to political realities, I think the PDP, NASS members-elect and Nigerians should support a credible and independent person from the North central for the position, or if by slim chance Yakubu Dogara stand a chance, he should be supported. As stated above, it will be unpatriotic and evil to reward Southwest the position of Speaker when they have the office of Vice President while zones like Northcentral, Southeast and southsouth are left with nothing.

4. PDP Can Stop Ahmad Lawan SP Bid:

With forty three Senators-elect already, PDP need at least thirteen aggrieved APC Senators-elect to defeat Ahmad Lawan, the unpopular anointed of the APC for the Senate President seat. Already aggrieved APC Senators-elect like Uzor Kalu of Abia, Ali Ndume of Borno and Danjuma Goje of Gombe and their supporters have vowed to challenge for the seat in June and with the traditional secret ballot system of voting. I have no doubt that PDP would either produce someone among them as Senate President or endorse one of the aggrieved as PDP adopted candidate. I will see how Lawan will emerge Senate President or whether Adams Oshiomole will be able to rig him in.

5. We Did It In 2015, We Can Do It Again

About four years ago, specifically, June 7, 2015, I, alongside loyalists of PDP, openly called on PDP leaders and NASS members-elect to counter the anointing of Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon Femi Gbajabiamila by voting for Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon Yakubu Dogara for the positions of Senate President and Speaker of House of Representative respectively! We triumphed against all odd. (Ref: https://www.nairaland.com/2362944/open-campaign-adoption-sen-saraki).


May God Bless Us and Bless Nigeria

TonyeBarcanista writes from Abuja and can be reached at TonyeBarcanista@gmail.com

If for any reason I don't want this two is just that a rubber stamped HOUSE will kill our democracy, imagine the idiot saying they want to allow a single term. He never enter he they talk thrash...

TANTUMERGO007:
If for any reason I don't want this two is just that a rubber stamped HOUSE will kill our democracy, imagine the idiot saying they want to allow a single term. He never enter he they talk thrash...

The two of them should be rejected and I am happy that North central Reps of APC are showing interest in the Speakership race. I trust Northern Reps support one of their own while Reps of Southeast and Southsouth + entire PDP Reps in Southwest back the candidacy of the consensus North central (assuming PDP isn't presenting candidate

Total BS. Zoning is no where in the constitution and shouldn't be basis for any serious discussion.

Parties vote in candidates based on seniority worldwide. Ours shouldn't be any different.

kayfra:
Total BS. Zoning is no where in the constitution and shouldn't be basis for any serious discussion.

Parties vote in candidates based on seniority worldwide. Ours shouldn't be any different.

Zoning is nowhere in the Constitution? Right! But same Bourdillon road people sponsored calumnious campaign between 2011 and 2015 that the Southwest is nowhere to be found in the top four offices even when they worked against Mulikat Akande for Speaker

TonyeBarcanista:

Zoning is nowhere in the Constitution? Right! But same Bourdillon road people sponsored calumnious campaign between 2011 and 2015 that the Southwest is nowhere to be found in the top four offices even when they worked against Mulikat Akande for Speaker

Bourdillon will do what is best for Bourdillon. Recommendations for legislative leadership based on geographic considerations is asinine and doesn't aid in what the body is meant for. Passing laws, appropriating spending and executive oversight

kayfra:


Bourdillon will do what is best for Bourdillon. Recommendations for legislative leadership based on geographic considerations is asinine and doesn't aid in what the body is meant for. Passing laws, appropriating spending and executive oversight

Nigerians and Legislators should do what is best for Nigeria and the legislative arm by resisting Bourdillon. The National Assembly is not Lagos state House of Assembly where Bourdillon lackeys are in charge.


And, all public offices in Nigeria are based on geographic consideration, whether it is asinine or not is another subject entirely. Yes, I agree that NASS presiding offices occupants doesn't have any direct benefit on the zones they are from but it gives sense of belonging at least.

but you didn't say anything when ekeremadu and emeka ihedioha were DSP and deputy speaker. respectively. stop been an hypocrite.. you are better than this!!

TonyeBarcanista:
By TonyeBarcanista

I have observed the lobbying and politics surrounding the race for National Assembly presiding officers and I think it is incumbent on me to air my opinion on why NASS members-elect, Peoples Democratic Party and Nigerians should resist Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon Femi Gbajabiamila for the positions of Senate President and Speaker of House of Representative respectively.

1. Gbajabiamila Candidacy Is Against Equitable Distribution of Offices:
Having produced the Vice President of Nigeria, it becomes natural that another geopolitical zone in the country produce the number 4 citizen as it has been the tradition since 1999.

It may be recalled that at the return of the fourth republic, the Southwest produced the President, the Northeast had the Vice President, the Southeast had the Senate President and the Northwest produced Speaker of House of Representative and this arrangement lasted until 2007. Same tradition of equitable distribution was upheld in 2007-2011 when the Northwest produced the President, the Southsouth had the Vice President, the North central had Senate President while the Southwest had the Speaker through Patricia Etteh and Dimeji Bankole respectively. The arrangement was bound to be maintained until Aminu Tambuwal with support from the opposition as at then disrupted the arrangement, gifted the northwest 2 out of the 4 top offices and denied the Southwest and the entire south the position of Speaker. It however was restored in 2015 with NW (President), SW (VP), NC (Senate President) and NE (Speaker)

If those people in Bourdillon road that are fronting Femi Gbajabiamila candidacy were fair to the South and the nation, they would have presented someone from the Southeast or Southsouth for the position instead of another person from Southwest. The excuse that both zones didn't give APC ranking members or House members aren't tenable this time around.

Gbaja's candidacy is simply anti-south agenda by some sectional elements in Lagos. It is also anti-Nigeria agenda as it seeks to reward a particular zone with 2 out of the top for offices in the country leaving other 5 zones to scramble for 2 offices.

2. Gbajabiamila Candidacy Is Anti-Southwest:

The Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has Lagos has his political base and he's more loyal to Lagos than his native Ogun state. Femi Gbajabiamila is also of Lagos state and his puppeteers want to make him speaker, meanwhile, there are other APC Rep members in Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Ekiti and Ondo states but they ignored them and narrowed it to Femi so as to serve their own selfish interest. These same people refused to support Hon Lasun the outgoing Deputy Speaker even though he's Yoruba all through his four years tenure simply because he wasn't their anointed. It clearly shows that contrary to what Femi sponsors would want the people of southwest to believe, they are pushing Femi to represent them not the zone.

3. Northcentral Or Dogara Should Get Speakership:
Personally, I believe equity demands that the position of Senate President or Speaker should go to a Rep member from either the Southeast or Southsouth zone, but since this may not be feasible due to political realities, I think the PDP, NASS members-elect and Nigerians should support a credible and independent person from the North central for the position, or if by slim chance Yakubu Dogara stand a chance, he should be supported. As stated above, it will be unpatriotic and evil to reward Southwest the position of Speaker when they have the office of Vice President while zones like Northcentral, Southeast and southsouth are left with nothing.

4. PDP Can Stop Ahmad Lawan SP Bid:

With forty one Senators-elect already, PDP need at least fifteen aggrieved more to defeat Ahmad Lawan, the unpopular anointed of the APC for the Senate President seat. Already aggrieved APC Senators-elect like Uzor Kalu of Abia, Ali Ndume of Borno and Danjuma Goje of Gombe and their supporters have vowed to challenge for the seat in June and with the traditional secret ballot system of voting. I have no doubt that PDP would either produce someone among them as Senate President or endorse one of the aggrieved as PDP adopted candidate. I will see how Lawan will emerge Senate President or whether Adams Oshiomole will be able to rig him in.

5. We Did It In 2015, We Can Do It Again

About four years ago, specifically, June 7, 2015, I, alongside loyalists of PDP, openly called on PDP leaders and NASS members-elect to counter the anointing of Senator Ahmed Lawan and Hon Femi Gbajabiamila by voting for Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon Yakubu Dogara for the positions of Senate President and Speaker of House of Representative respectively! We triumphed against all odd. (Ref: https://www.nairaland.com/2362944/open-campaign-adoption-sen-saraki).


May God Bless Us and Bless Nigeria

TonyeBarcanista writes from Abuja and can be reached at TonyeBarcanista@gmail.com

Our democracy is styled after the US model, except for Electoral College.

What you see now is our attempt to pilot the Electoral College model. Simple!

babyfaceafrica:
but you didn't say anything when ekeremadu and emeka ihedioha were DSP and deputy speaker. respectively. stop been an hypocrite.. you are better than this!!

PDP never anointed Ihedioha as Deputy Speaker in 2011, a northern guy was anointed to deputise Mulikat but the arrangement was disrupted by the people of Bourdillon due to their selfish interest. This is recent history. Only Ekweremadu was supported by the leadership because it won't be fair for a zone to have both positions

MetaPhysical:


Our democracy is styled after the US model, except for Electoral College.

What you see now is our attempt to pilot the Electoral College model. Simple!

Let us see whether you have the numbers to foist such unpopular will on the National Assembly leadership. You will know that NASS Presiding Officers election is not APC primary.

When I hear fools say that Buhari can determine who becomes presiding/principal officers in NASS, I just laugh. Stupid people also use Obasanjo as reference as to how he easily installed and uninstalled Senate Presidents during his first tenure.

You have to understand that 'eye never open' in that period. Nigeria's democracy was still 'nascent', and things were only beginning to take shape. You can't try that now. You can't impose a Senate President or Speaker in the name of enforcing "party discipline. It simply wouldn't work. At the appointed date, the legislators would elect whoever plays the game best as Senate President/DSP, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker. There's absolutely nothing the useless Buhari or greedy Tinubu can do about it.

If they try to use gestapo tactics by cordoning off the National Assembly with their useless DSS and police, and allowing only select lawmakers access to go in and elect the anointed candidates, that would be disastrous and would not stand. The pretenders so elected would be summarily impeached, and the NASS would be thrown into crisis.

Focus on your failed political analyst career

APC have always been a selfish demonic party. Well one thing is also synonymous with Nigerian politicians and thats selfishness and greed.

Let's see, what I know is at the end of the day its he who feeds their greed more that gets to be the winner of it all.

But thats not my problem now, I have a more pressing desire.

The failed political analyst is at it again..

Whose money do you want to chop again Tonye?

Dogara should get what? Repeat what you said.




You must be high on cow dung

K

No going back....

fk001:
Dogara should get what? Repeat what you said.




You must be high on cow dung

As Speaker Dogara performed well and carried everyone along. Now instead of Bourdillon road to get it let Dogara or any northern person from North central or Northeast keep it since they said Southsouth and Southeast are unfit for leadership under this administration.

TonyeBarcanista:

As Speaker Dogara performed well and carried everyone along. Now instead of Bourdillon road to get it let Dogara or any northern person from North central or Northeast keep it since they said Southsouth and Southeast are unfit for leadership under this administration.

I agree that let someone from North central or South South should get it as far as the person is in APC, but it is no no for Dogara or any PDP member.

And u forgot to mention Dimeji Bankole from South West as speaker � and Obj as the President?

who is still taking this Op serious, a failed analyst. leave APC to do their things the way they want to, and shove ur useless opinion in ur ass, go and face ur useless party.

Lawan is the senate president
Gbajamila is the speaker.

kill urself.

Hedonisst:
When I hear fools say that Buhari can determine who becomes presiding/principal officers in NASS, I just laugh. Stupid people also use Obasanjo as reference as to how he easily installed and uninstalled Senate Presidents during his first tenure.

You have to understand that 'eye never open' in that period. Nigeria's democracy was still 'nascent', and things were only beginning to take shape. You can't try that now. You can't impose a Senate President or Speaker in the name of enforcing "party discipline. It simply wouldn't work. At the appointed date, the legislators would elect whoever plays the game best as Senate President/DSP, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker. There's absolutely nothing the useless Buhari or greedy Tinubu can do about it.

If they try to use gestapo tactics by cordoning off the National Assembly with their useless DSS and police, and allowing only select lawmakers access to go in and elect the anointed candidates, that would be disastrous and would not stand. The pretenders so elected would be summarily impeached, and the NASS would be thrown into crisis.

This is a fact!

This the the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth

chloride6:
The failed political analyst is at it again..

Whose money do you want to chop again Tonye?

GTB must cough out N8B to INNOSON...thieving Afonja bank.

Kill Urself!!!

It's a shame that because saraki betrayed it's party and sold out and many persons thinks it's now a
Num . When the leadership of the National Assembly failed it's the APc that Nigerians would say has failed. Because they are majority. Therefore let them the Apc determine who becomes principal officers. Period

chimchim1:
And u forgot to mention Dimeji Bankole from South West as speaker � and Obj as the President?

Bankole became Speaker in late 2007 to replace Patricia Etteh from Osun state and Yaradua (NW) was President while Jonathan (SS) was VP.

ghost3040:
GTB must cough out N8B to INNOSON...thieving Afonja bank.

Kill Urself!!!

Dont you have a order to lock up everything and anything?

Why do you drop your phone and help your fraudster industrialist to lock up properties?

Is Equity and fairness an abomination in APC ?

PDP should go for the broke. Yes we can! Yes we should!

Trust me people, only a PDP led 9th Senate can position this great nation on the desired path of growth and prosperity.

A rubber stamp Senate in this era is a no-no for well meaning Nigerians.

By the way, buhari is not in charge and it can only get worse as he ages and his undisclosed ailments continue to weigh him down.

After hiding for several months, he had no choice than to come out and campaign and we all saw the true state of affairs of the one whom has been entrusted with the destiny of 200m Nigerians.

The cabal is in charge. The cabal is a ruthless faceless mafia and would stop at nothing until they have defeated the most crucial substance that bind us together as a nation.

Only an opposition led NAss can cut down their excesses.