NASS Resumes, Suspense Over Principal Officers Heightens

Ahead of National Assembly resumption today, suspense over how the principal officers will emerge has intensified.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the political parties in both chambers are yet to harmonise and agree on the list of the potential principal officers.

While Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) and Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) are in contention for the office of the Senate leader, lawmakers from the minority parties are working against the emergence of former speaker of the house of representatives Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto South) as the Senate minority leader.

Speaking to LEADERSHIP last night a lawmaker said the leadership of the political parties are yet to send the list of their nominees to the Senate.

According to him, the leadership of the opposition parties will share the positions meant for them adding that their list is not ready.

He also said that the leadership of the APC is yet to decide the names of the lawmakers that will occupy their offices adding that the party will do that in consultation with the presidency.

“Well, we are resuming tomorrow (today). We are not resuming with principal officers because the political parties are yet to send their names. The opposition lawmakers are yet to decide who will be the minority leader likewise the APC is also yet to decide because it will be done in consultation with the Presidency,” he said.

On the importance of the Senate leader and the Senate minority leader in driving the Senate proceedings, the lawmaker said such a vacuum will not affect the plenary.

The 10th National Assembly had embarked on post-inauguration recess and Eid El Kabir break on June 15 and scheduled resumption today.

The presiding officers of the Senate President Godswill Akpabio and his Deputy, Senator Jibrin Barau; and those of the House, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and his Deputy, Speaker Benjamin Kalu, were elected on the day of inauguration, June 13.

However, principal officers for both chambers, who help to run the parliament are yet to be chosen.

The principal officers in both chambers are majority leader, deputy majority leader, chief whip, deputy whip, minority leader, deputy minority leader, minority whip and deputy minority whip.

The plenary proceedings cannot function effectively without principal officers.

The majority leader, mostly referred to as the House Leader, moves important motions such as those for dissolution into committees of the whole and supply, executive sessions as well as adjournment while the minority leader seconds.

Also, the House leader sponsors executive bills, pieces of legislation from the Senate and moves for third (final) readings of bills, amongst other functions.

Both the chief whip and minority whip as well as their deputies ensure the orderliness and proper conduct of members during plenary proceedings.

Unlike presiding officers who are elected by lawmakers, principal officers are appointed by their political parties on the basis of majority and minority caucuses.

So far, feelers are that only the minority leader has emerged in the person of Rt.Hon. Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) with Hon. George Ibezimako Ozodinobi (LP, Anambra) as the deputy minority leader.

However, it is yet clear who is going to emerge majority leader as the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite the promise by the national chairman, Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, has not indicated a member of the party selected for the position.

As at last check, some ranking members of APC in the House, including Julius Ihonvbere both (Edo), Muktar Betara (Borno), the Co-chairman of the Joint Task – 10th Assembly, Usman Bello Kumo (Gombe), Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (Plateau) and the Deputy Majority Leader in the 9th House, Peter Akpatason were eyeing the coveted seat.

Besides the unveiling of Principal Officers, constitution of standing committees, unveiling of legislative agenda and confirmation of the recently appointed Service Chiefs are top priorities for the lawmakers as they resume.

It is expected that the headship and membership of Standing Committees would be announced for effective commencement of legislative business as the House executes its constitutional mandates of lawmaking and oversight through these panels.

The House had shortly before adjournment constituted special selection Ad-hoc Chaired by the Speaker Abbas with Deputy Speaker Kalu as Vice Chairman while each State Caucus and the Federal Capital Territory was to send a member into the panel which set up Standing Committees.

Also expected is the unveiling of the 10th House Legislative Agenda which guides and spells out priority areas for legislative intervention through bills, motions, oversight and investigations.

The Speaker had before adjournment of plenary on June 15, constituted a special ad-hoc committee on legislative agenda chaired by Ihonvbere, a Professor of Political Science.

The House is also expected to confirm of Service Chiefs appointed by President Bola Tinubu on June 19 when it was in recess.

Tinubu had approved the appointments of Maj. Gen. C.G Musa, Chief of Defence Staff; Maj. T. A Lagbaja, Chief of Army Staff; Rear Admirral E. A Ogalla Chief of Naval Staff; AVM H.B Abubakar Chief of Air Staff; DIG Kayode Egbetokun, Acting Inspector-General of Police, and DCG Adeniyi Bashir Adewale as the Ag. Comptroller General of Customs.

Meanwhile, a meeting of the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and members of its caucus in the Senate over who should emerge the minority leader ended in a deadlock.

The meeting, held at the PDP national headquarters in Abuja, failed to agree on who should be leader, opting instead to take more nominations which will be submitted to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio when the National Assembly resumes today.

PDP leadership and the senators said they will continue consultations on how minority leadership will emerge, adding that they have resolved to present a unified leadership after due and conclusive considerations.

So far, contenders for the position are former Sokoto State governor, Senator Aminu Tambuwal; former Kebbi State governor, Senator Adamu Aliero; and Senator Abdul Ningi.

The race for the position has been intense following claims by pro-PDP groups of a plot by the Senate majority party, All Progressives Congress (APC), working in cahoots with “outsiders” to hijack the minority leadership position.

However, the national publicity secretary of PDP, Hon Debo Ologunagba who unveiled the resolutions of the meeting, said, the meeting condemned alleged subterranean moves by APC to meddle with the affairs of the Minority with regards to the emergence of the Minority Leadership which is an exclusive reserve of the Minority Caucus as expressly stipulated by Constitutional provisions and Standing Rules of the Senate.

“The PDP and the Senators continue with consultations on the emergence of the Minority Leadership in the Senate and are resolved to collectively present a unified leadership after due and conclusive considerations. Accordingly, the PDP will continue to provide the necessary leadership in this regard.

10th NASS: Tension over principal officers as lawmakers, resume today

By Clifford Ndujihe, Henry Umoru, John Alechenu & Levinus Nwabughiogu

As the 10th National Assembly resumes today, after its two-week break, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has warned Senate President Godswill Akpabio against unveiling a fake list of minority leaders saying it was still consulting and yet to take a stand on the issue.

The party’s National Working Committee, NWC, yesterday, met with PDP senators to avert what they described as incursions of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, into its fold to determine those who will emerge as Senate Minority Leader.

This is coming as tension rose following the battle for the Senate Majority Leader with some Northern Senators insisting that the North should produce the majority leader.

Also, there is intense lobbying among senators for the headship of nine special, and 63 standing committees.
In the House of Representatives, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas barring changes is expected to announce Professor Julius Ihonvhere, Kingsley Chinda, George Ozodinobi, Ali Madaki and Usman Kumo among others as principal officers.

The Principal office positions for the ruling APC are the Majority leader; Chief Whip; Deputy Leader; and deputy Whip while the opposition parties have the Minority Leader; Minority Whip; Deputy Minority Leader and Deputy Minority Whip.

PDP NWC, Senators meet, resolve to present a common front

The PDP NWC met with Senators elected on its platform in a last-ditch attempt to forestall a showdown over the choice of persons for minority leadership positions in the Senate. The meeting was held at the party’s National Secretariat, on Monday.

Sources said that 19 of the party’s 36 senators were in attendance with six others sending in apologies.
Others were said to be in Saudi Arabia where they had gone to perform the Muslim ritual of hajj.

It was gathered that party leaders who were mindful of conflicting interests among its ranks waded in and urged the lawmakers to forge a common front in order to ward off incursions from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

A top PDP source said: “We are still talking to ourselves because we need to carry our fellow minority parties along. We are in majority but we can be out-maneuvered if we are not united.

“We also have intelligence that some individuals are trying to ride on their closeness to the Senate leadership to present an illegal list to be announced on the floor behind our back.”

In a terse statement released by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, the party said it was still consulting while warning the ruling APC to steer clear of the process leading up to the choice of leaders of the opposition in the Senate.

Ologunagba said: “The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party today, Monday, July 3, 2023 met with members of the PDP Caucus in the Senate. At the meeting, the importance of a virile and stable opposition in the Senate and indeed the National Assembly was emphasized and the Caucus assured that it will play that important role in the defense of democracy, the interest and wellbeing of Nigerians.

“The meeting condemned in its entirety the alleged subterranean moves by the All Progressives Congress to meddle with the affairs of the Minority with regards to the emergence of the Minority Leadership which is an exclusive reserve of the Minority Caucus as expressly stipulated by Constitutional provisions and Standing Rules of the Senate.

“The PDP and the Senators will continue with consultations on the emergence of the Minority Leadership in the Senate and are resolved to collectively present a unified leadership after due and conclusive considerations. Accordingly, the PDP will continue to provide the necessary leadership in this regard.

“Consequently, the meeting resolved that the PDP NWC communicates to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on the on-going consultation in the Minority Caucus to the effect that the nominations into the Minority leadership positions in the Senate has not been concluded and that upon conclusion, the nominated list will be formally conveyed to him appropriately for necessary action.”

Some of the Senators in attendance included: Abba Moro, Aminu Tambuwal and Abdul Ningi.

Battle for principal offices in Senate

Vanguard gathered that the immediate past Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, APC, Abia North may retain his position as Chief Whip of the Senate while the Deputy Senate Leader may cede to the North -Central geo- political zone of the country.

Those in the race for the Senate Leader are former Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South; Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central and Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, APC, Oyo North.

In the case of the Minority leader, it is a battle of wit between the former Vice Presidential and the party’s Presidential candidate in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar on one hand and the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.

While Atiku is pushing for former Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal for Senate Minority Leader, Wike and his G- 5 Governors are said to be pushing for Senator Jarigbe Akom Jarigbe, PDP, Cross River North.

Also eyeing the position of Senate Minority Leader are former Bayelsa Governor, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, PDP, Bayelsa West; and former Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi, PDP, Bauchi Central.

Intense lobby for headship of 9 special, 63 standing committees

Following his election as Senate President, Akpabio had on Wednesday, June 14 set up a 15-member Welfare Committee and announced the adjournment till July 4.

The 15- member Welfare Committee which has Senator Isah Jibrin, APC, Kogi East as Chairman, was saddled with the responsibility of the welfare of the Senators, allocation of offices and seats at the hallowed chamber in accordance with the Standing Orders and ranking.

Vanguard’s investigation yesterday showed that the old Chamber that has been under renovation since August 2022 is still not ready for use as indications have emerged that the temporary chamber on the ground floor of the Senate would be used for plenary sessions.

As Senate resumes today and in line with Senate Standing Orders 2020 as amended, the Senate President and the deputy will pause the composition of the committees until names of the principal officers are forwarded because both the Principal officers of the ruling and opposition parties are members of the Committee of Selection, with the Senate President as Chairman.

According to the Standing Orders, no member of the selection Committee shall serve as chairman of a committee and no Senator shall serve in more than seven committees.

The special committees that must be announced within the first 14 legislative days following the first sitting of the Senate are Selection Committee Selection; Committee on Rules and Business and the Senate Services Committee; Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions; Public Accounts; National Security and Intelligence; Committee on Legislative Compliance; and Committee on Media and Public Affairs among others.

The lobby for who chairs the 63 standing committees would be another round of political intrigues where the issue of ranking, party affiliation, loyalty, former governors and close associates will play critical roles.

Abbas to unveil Ihonvbere, Chinda, others

In the House of Representatives, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas is expected to formally announce the nomination of the principal officers of the majority and minority parties.

Upon its inauguration on June 13, the Reps elected Abbas as speaker with Benjamin Kalu as his deputy. It sat on June 14 and proceeded for Eid el-Kabir two weeks break on June 15. The break was to also enable the bureaucracy to allocate offices to the new members.

Now, offices have been made ready and allocated to the 359 members in the 360-member parliament.

ngwabuoy:
We need them to start work ASAP