The speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has advised the executive and the leadership of Nigerian political parties to always allow the lawmakers to choose their leaders both in the Senate and House of Representatives.

He said that members of the National Assembly have always resisted the imposition of leaders on them by the executive arm of government and their political parties.

Dogara stated this yesterday in Abuja at the ongoing orientation programme for members of the 9th National Assembly, which he chaired.

In an interaction with journalists, Dogara said: “I will advise members to actually look out for those who have thrown themselves into the race to see who will aggregate their aspirations better and then will be able to surpass the record of this Assembly,”

To the political parties, he said: “Well, I am not here to dictate to them, the parties have their manifestoes, the way to do their businesses but one thing I have said and if you followed the business during this induction, it is always better to allow the leadership to emerge from the people.

“Where leadership has been forced upon the people, the history in the National Assembly, and in fact, in Nigeria’s history, it has never endured. The least we could afford in the National Assembly is a crisis on account of the leadership selection process.

“So, whoever a party is sponsoring and supporting, they should make sure they have the backing of the legislature so that they (legislators) accept it because they own the process and the leadership.

“That way, it will be good but in a situation it is forced, literally driven down the throat, in most cases, it doesn’t augur well. Even in the Senate, it doesn’t augur well. In the House of Representatives too, it doesn’t augur well.”

During the session, Dogara said that the Nigerian president is the most powerful in the world because the legislature and judiciary are not up and doing.

He regretted that Section 143 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) makes it impossible for the parliament to impeach the president or the vice president.

According to him, “efforts to amend the section some time ago, to make the procedure for the impeachment of the president and the vice president less stringent, failed.

“The point was made long ago, even before 2015 when the current president was elected. It has always been said that Nigeria’s president is most powerful in the world. It is because of the fact that we as parliamentarians and even the judiciary have been unable to stand up to our responsibilities.

“When they are talking about a powerful president, they are talking about a weak legislature and a weak judiciary. Section 143 was very controversial. The ruling government (then) believed we were targeting the president. And those who were coming believed that we want to relax the law so that anybody they elect can easily be impeached.

“But the point is that we are trying to strengthen democracy to ensure the checks on account of removing the president or vice president for violation of the constitution is made more probable.

“As it is, Section 143 can never be successfully activated by any parliament; it will never work by the design of that provision. So, when people talk about impeachment I just laugh. You cannot successfully activate Section 143 (of the constitution). But in the United States (US) it is very real. A president can be removed,” Dogara said.

http://mcebiscoo.com/2019/04/09/nass-members-will-always-resist-imposition-of-leadership-dogara/

you won't be their leader soon...

OK. Just vo

Nice

But that's the truth! With a rubber stamp Parliament the president becomes a thin god. There should be room for checks and balances

we are no longer electing pdp guys in apc clothing as speaker or SP

Hmm

Word

The legislature should be free from imposition of leaders by the party.
Obviously, a repeat of Saraki/ Dogara scenario is likely to come up.

Bizznezz:
you won't be their leader soon...

. Zombie spotted!

Quality20:
we are no longer electing pdp guys in apc clothing as speaker or SP

Who is "we"?

And how many votes would you cast on the floor of the Senate and House of Rep?

Gibberish!

Go and sit down jarey, mtchew

You said it all, their party manifesto is differ from yours, so let them decide what is going to be good to this nation, the current 8th assembly were not chosen and We all know the effects on Government and Nigerians

Oh yes! Any imposed leader most likely to be a stooge

Quality20:
we are no longer electing pdp guys in apc clothing as speaker or SP

it is surprising that you still think anyone is APC or PDP, same people clad in different political flags is what you make an issue from all the nonsense befalling us as a nation?!

How can they be so flagrant in insulting the only hole to democracy yet?

How does the executive choose to openly meddle in the separation of powers?

DemolaUnbias:
You said it all, their party manifesto is differ from yours, so let them decide what is going to be good to this nation, the current 8th assembly were not chosen and We all know the effects on Government and Nigerians

What is the APC's party manifesto you even know?

I like this Dogara guy alot, alot of people think this is about pdp or Apc but this is about Nigerian democracy..


I pity young minds that attack anybody speaking up for this country, A poor country like Nigeria can only move forward if the nation's democracy is allowed to thrive..

These APC guys are really foolish indeed.

They keep letting these PDP politicians play mind games on them.

When PDP were in power the party leadership always had a decision on who the SP and Speaker should be and they always had their way.

Why all of a sudden APC leadership want to do same and we hear manipulative and sentimental statements like;

"We will resist hijack of the legislature by Tinubu"
"Buhari should allow us choose our leaders"
"Hijack of the legislature by the Presidency"
"The legislature is independent"
"The legislature should be free of party imposition"


And then the very foolish APC members are falling for this blackmail and mind games from PDP.

Mumu people!

Quality20:
we are no longer electing pdp guys in apc clothing as speaker or SP

Who is we?

Theoretical democracy.... Lolz... If I hear say we dey do democracy for 9ja, instead I call it jagabanitocracy

dogara want to sort his way out but i don't think that is possible because APC are ready to die there for the nass stuff But reality the guy spoke well

backnbeta:
But that's the truth! With a rubber stamp Parliament the president becomes a thin god. There should be room for checks and balances

when gej and David mark were in power there was no need for checks and balances then abi

Nigerians should join hands together and condemn the overbearing atitude of bola tinube ,he is devil and should be destroyed why should an ordinary person who isn't the president is doing everything to hijack the whole system tinubu does respect anybody in this country including the president,i could still remember gov ambode saga when the president invited him over the issue and the useless man discarded everything and went ahead to remove a performing governor now he has shifted his evil sword to NASS using his boy oshiomole as the messenger but this time, the well meaning nigerian willn't allow him to excute his evil agenda.

Quality20:
we are no longer electing pdp guys in apc clothing as speaker or SP

ur barbaric tribe is now a minority in APC.

frankmoney:
when gej and David mark were in power there was no need for checks and balances then abi

What is wrong is wrong, regardless of who was or is in power. If there were no checks and balances during Gej's tenure, does it mean there shouldn't be now?

It will do you like dream when all your evil plans to return fail woefully...

Hiarmn:
dogara want to sort his way out but i don't think that is possible because APC are ready to die there for the nass stuff But reality the guy spoke well

shutup!tinubu willn't be allowed to excute his evil agenda.dogora is the most qualified person to lead the lower chamber.

tesppidd:
These APC guys are really foolish indeed.

They keep letting these PDP politicians play mind games on them.

When PDP were in power the party leadership always had a decision on who the SP and Speaker should be and they always had their way.

Why all of a sudden APC leadership want to do same and we hear manipulative and sentimental statements like;

"We will resist hijack of the legislature by Tinubu"
"Buhari should allow us choose our leaders"
"Hijack of the legislature by the Presidency"
"The legislature is independent"
"The legislature should be free of party imposition"


And then the very foolish APC members are falling for this blackmail and mind games from PDP.

Mumu people!

PDP decisions are general opinion and when they were in power the president is the leader of the Party while in a APC two men are in charge,the president buhari is in charge of excutive arm and tinube is in charge the party structure and has been using his position to bully other party members, imposing his puppets in various top positions.