Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos

The presidency on Sunday said President Muhammadu Buhari will not interfere in the bid by some lawmakers to challenge the zoning formula of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on the leadership positions of the 9th National Assembly.

Already the APC has settled for the duo of Senator Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) and Femi Gbajabiamila (Surulere 1) as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively, for the 9th National Assembly.

However, the positions are being challenged by some lawmakers who described the party’s position as imposition and an attempt to meddle in the leadership selection process of the National Assembly.

In the Senate, Ali Ndume (Borno South) and Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) have indicated interest to contest for the exalted position, though Goje is yet to formally declare his ambition despite mounting pressure from his loyalists.

In the House of Reps, Idris Ahmed Wase (APC, Plateau), John Dyegh (APC, Benue), Mohammed Umar Bago (APC, Niger) and Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (APC-Abia) are angling to succeed Speaker Yakubu Dogara against the party’s directive.

In a bid to avoid the events of 2015 where the candidates adopted by the party lost, many had thought President Buhari as the leader of the party will call the gladiators together and speak with them on the need to respect the position of the party.

However, speaking with Daily Independent on Sunday, Ita Enang, Senior Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters (Senate), said President Buhari will not intervene in the matter as he has devolved powers to the party.

According to Enang, there is no cause for alarm over the leadership positions in the 9th Assembly as the APC is handling the situation well while majority of the lawmakers have promised to abide by the position of the party.

“The president is the leader of the party and the party is handling the situation. The president does not have to speak on every matter. He devolves power which he has done in this case.

“He does not give the power to the party because the power belongs to the party, he is just the leader of the party. So, the party of which he is the leader chaired by the national chairman is handling the situation and is on top of it. The members themselves, both senators and Reps members are very serious stakeholders at the highest level. So, we are relating with them and they have given assurances that they will respect the party’s position”, he said.

However, speaking to our correspondent, a top source in the party said there are attempts by some power brokers in the presidency to whittle the influence of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, one of the national leaders of the party, who is being speculated to be nursing the ambition of succeeding Buhari in 2023.

According to him, many people believe that after having his protégé, Yemi Osinbajo as the vice president, it will be dangerous for Tinubu to also have his loyalists as the number three and four man in the incoming political dispensation.

“Yes, the party had settled for Lawan and Gbajabiamila but from feelers we are getting, a lot of people in the presidency and APC are not really keen about this. These people are the ones giving hidden support to the likes of Goje and Ndume. They felt with Lawan and Gbajabiamila, Tinubu will be too influential and they don’t want that.

“I believe the issue at stake goes beyond Tinubu or his presidential ambition, if truly he has. 2023 is still far ahead. We need to deal with the present situation which is to have a National Assembly which will be in synergy with the executive arm of government in taking the country to the Next Level. We have traveled this rough, thorny road before and we all came out bruised”, he said.
https://www.independent.ng/9th-nass-leadership-tussle-why-buhari-wont-interfere-presidency/

That's how it should be. Let the system work by its self

useless leader. this is the leiz-affair attitude he has toward this nation.


If buhari doesn't intervene. odinarry dino will trounce lawan if he declares

If I hear

Indirectly telling Tinubu and co that they're on their own.
Same thing that played out in 2015.

What a lifeless comment.

aolawale025:
That's how it should be. Let the system work by its self

No, that's not how it should be. This president is a weakling. We need a better leader. I see it now.

aolawale025:
That's how it should be. Let the system work by its self

Letting the system work itself out was how PDP took over the 8th Assembly and that was his excuse for poor performance. Now he wants history to repeat itself? I support President Buhari but everyday he is making it clearer that he is not the man for the job. We need a better President. We need a President that doesn't take a nonchalant attitude or siddon look attitude towards nation building. Sorry to say but President Buhari is no longer competent. We need a decisive President that knows how to make good plans and take decisive actions towards achieving it, not a President that had put Nigeria on auto-pilot, a president with a weakling mind and skewed philosophy that wherever the wind takes us. I have noticed over the years that President Buhari is only swift to action when it comes to appointing his fellow Northerners into critical political positions to tighten the grip of the North on power. But when it comes to Nation building and development, he is annoyingly slow and un-bothered. Same way he has refused to appoint new better security chiefs despite all the massive insecurity and killings happening. I support President Buhari and want him to succeed because if he succeeds as president then Nigeria will progress but how can you succeed when you don't even know the basics of leadership? For example, He took so long to appoint ministers, yet nothing to show for it and he didn't sack the underperforming ones. We need a president like Ganduje in this country. Bold and decisive. A emir messed up and he treated his fvck up immediately, intelligently and legally. Maybe it's because of his age, but right now, even though he won the election, President Buhari should do the country a favor and resign honorably. He will go down in history as a legend. He should hand over to someone like Ganduje. Atiku is a no-no and Osinbajo is a weakling too that will be tossed around by powerful politicians.

Yeah right

I Dnt Believe Dat, Cos D Presidency Are Full Of Lies nd Deciets!

I see.
Same way he didn't interfer in INECs conduct of the general election.

Please what has he been interfering since he became president


Just pack this man inside one place biko
I already know that we have no President in Nigeria

Little wonder Oshiomhole has been silent. I pity stupid Tinubu. We warned the anuofia but he won't listen

El Rufia over to you. buhari has transferred the tasks to El Rufia

MobilityExpress:


No, that's not how it should be. This president is a weakling. We need a better leader. I see it now.

did trump who was a republican interferes in who takes over a dominated democrat house of reps In US

Ghen ghen

Lawan may survive although an El-rufai's support for Goje would upturn any arrangement... but Gbaja's case is not looking good.

You should understand the North is no longer playing an all APC game anymore, El-rufai's team wont mind working with someone in the balance between opposition and APC so as to gain in-road into other regions since Tinubu may be gunning for presidency.

dokyOloye:
Indirectly telling Tinubu and co that they're on their own.
Same thing that played out in 2015.

buhari does not want tinubu friends as senate president and speaker but he is also afraid to hurt tinubu so he will play the not my business game and watch El Rufia scatter tinubu plan. I see the north taking both office because the south cannot speak in one voice

MobilityExpress:


No, that's not how it should be. This president is a weakling. We need a better leader. I see it now.

How does him not interfering make him a weakling?

OGHENAOGIE:
did trump who was a republican interferes in who takes over a dominated democrat house of reps In US

Yes, Trump did actually. Because he knew how important it was to have a Congress that majority were on his side and the leadership under his party. Donald Trump campaigned rigorously and tirelessly to ensure that the Republican candidates won both the house and Senate and maintained their leadership positions. That was one of the main reasons he could withstand the storm of hell of fabricated attacks that came against him after winning the elections. If the Dems were in power in the house and Senate, they would have impeached him based on their evil plots. However, the Democrats have now taken over the leadership of the house of reps, and right now, Donald Trump is going through another round of persecution because of it. If you understand the politics of democracy, without the Senate and house leaderships on your side, the President is a sitting duck

Yes, We know he is Introfering not interfering.

Esseite:
Lawan may survive although an El-rufai's support for Goje would upturn any arrangement... but Gbaja's case is not looking good.

You should understand the North is no longer playing an all APC game anymore, El-rufai's team wont mind working with someone in the balance between opposition and APC so as to gain in-road into other regions since Tinubu may be gunning for presidency.

The Kaduna massacres are a big eye opener. El Rufai can never be President again. He has lost support in the south. We see him for who he really is now - another Islamic fanatic. His educational background is a mirage. Game over, he played himself.

nairavsdollars:
Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos


However, speaking with Daily Independent on Sunday, Ita Enang, Senior Special Adviser on National Assembly Matters (Senate), said President Buhari will not intervene in the matter as he has devolved powers to the party.

According to Enang, there is no cause for alarm over the leadership positions in the 9th Assembly as the APC is handling the situation well while majority of the lawmakers have promised to abide by the position of the party.

“The president is the leader of the party and the party is handling the situation. The president does not have to speak on every matter. He devolves power which he has done in this case.

“He does not give the power to the party because the power belongs to the party, he is just the leader of the party. So, the party of which he is the leader chaired by the national chairman is handling the situation and is on top of it. The members themselves, both senators and Reps members are very serious stakeholders at the highest level. So, we are relating with them and they have given assurances that they will respect the party’s position”, he said.

https://www.independent.ng/9th-nass-leadership-tussle-why-buhari-wont-interfere-presidency/

@ the emboldened. The president has devolved powers to the party but does not give power to the party. What exactly is the presidential aide saying? Which one should we take?

Yet Buhari endorsed Lawan & Gbajamila.Confused people!

Shut the crap. Buhari didn't endorse anybody. Oshiomhole did but was using Buhari's name to lie

Paperwhite:
Yet Buhari endorsed Lawan & Gbajamila.Confused people!

Bloody liar.