NASS leadership: Stakeholders commend Buhari, knock Tinubu

The neutrality of President MuhammaduBuhari in the crisis that ensued over the election of the National Assembly leadership has been applauded by stakeholders. At the same time, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was criticized for meddling in the affairs of the NASS, YUSUF MOHAMMED reports

President MuhammaduBuhari has been receiving kudos for his neutral stand in the just concluded controversial National Assembly elections that took place on Tuesday, June 9 2015. On the other hand former governor of Lagos, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has been criticized by most Nigerians for his overbearing influence on the politics of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and for trying to hoist a leadership on them.

Senator AbubakarBukolaSaraki, popularly known as ABS in Kwara state defeated Senator Ahmed Lawan in the race for Senate president, while Hon. YakubuDogara from Bauchi state defeated Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila in the House of Representatives election to emerge speaker.

According to reports, the two winners were not the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a bid to achieve consensus candidate and ensure the party’s choice was elected the APC conducted mock elections for the Senate President and Speaker during which Lawan and Gbajabiamila won. But the Saraki and Dogara group boycotted the elections.

The outcome of the election left a sour taste in the mouths of Saraki and his counterpart in the lower chamber, Dogara. Dogara’s group stormed out of the election venue dissatisfied with the process. They called on the party leadership to create a level field and not to take side.

However, it was a different story on Tuesday as Saraki and Dogara emerged leaders of the 8th National Assembly. Buhari has reacted to the outcome of the National Assembly election by saying he would work with the new leaders of the National Assembly. He said he stood by his earlier position that he would workwith whoever the lawmakers elected as their leaders.

The President, however, said he was of the view that constitutional process “has somewhat occurred.”

Buhari’s position was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser on media and publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina.

Hallmark gathered that Buhari’s action angered those loyal to Tinubu within the APC. According to an APC member who doesn’t want his name mentioned, things turned out the way it did because Buhari is not like the average politician. He said, “This is what happens when you elect someone who is not a politician as President.”

Activist and social commentator, JaphetOmojuwa is of the view that Tinubu was the architect of the National Assembly crisis. He advised that Tinubu should know when to draw the line.

He said, “Tinubu is as much a source of strength to the APC as he could easily be an impediment to the party. Others within the party might not be as powerful as Tinubu but they are powerful in their own right. The lawmakers who defied the party were in a rebellion against a man not a party”.party were in a rebellion against a man not a party”.

He also urged Nigerians to call a spade a spade irrespective of whose ox is gored. “Some people are trying to exonerate Tinubu from all this, but they are not being true to themselves”. He hailed Buhari for not getting involved due to the myriad of problems he needs to face as a President.

He said, “The president, Buhari chose not to get involved because he has other issues on his table to deal with.

Bode Goerge, the embattled chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who has been at loggerhead with Tinubu for a long time is of the view that, “the emergence of BukolaSaraki as the Senate President marks the end of AsiwajuTinubu’s political career”.

According to KayodeOgundamisi, “APC should move on and accept defeat. Lai Muhammad’s Press release affirming APC disagreement with the result goes to show that one man in particular is not happy. Well, some of us are now happy with how it turned out but the lawmakers have spoken and Buhari has spoken and that should be respected”.

AlhajiAbubakar Rajab an APC chieftain from Kogi is of the view that the President is a true democrat.

He told Hallmark that, “what happened at the National Assembly is good for democracy. Buhari said he belongs to everybody and he belongs to nobody. He stood true to his words and history will be kind to him for that”.

According to a source, Buhari was in e a brainwash, they warned these people not to allow Tinubu to form a ring around the President. They even attributed some concocted statements to Tinubu to create a gulf between him and the President to influence him. And these propagandists spoke with those who have the ears of the President”.support of what transpired at the National Assembly. “In what appeared like a brainwash, they warned these people not to allow Tinubu to form a ring around the President. They even attributed some concocted statements to Tinubu to create a gulf between him and the President to influence him. And these propagandists spoke with those who have the ears of the President”.

Hallmark learnt that Buhari was advised by those who have his ears within the party, not to attend the ICC meeting so that he wouldn’t look like Tinubu’s stooge. Some top members of the APC have been working round the clock to reduce the influence Tinubu on the party. They saw the National Assembly elections as the best opportunity to execute their plan.

Senator ShehuSani, however, advised the party leadership to appease aggrieved members.

The activist turned politician said, “For now all APC legislators must work together and court support from the opposition; and must not engage in anti-party activities; the party’s decision must be binding on all. We must work towards the success of the government of President MuhammaduBuhari.

“President Buhari’s dreams for Nigeria can only come to reality with a parliament that truly shares and reflects his vision, while balancing the need to continuously affirm and assert its statuary independence”.

Though Saraki was able to upset the APC game plan, some observers have faulted the process that brought him to office, describing it as flawed. Only 57 Senators were present out of the 109 elected members of the Senate when he was elected. They also argued that he was returned unopposed because the Lawan group was meeting somewhere to resolve some issues before the election, not knowing that the Saraki group has staged a coup in the Senate to elect him in their absence.

However, President Buhari has accepted the outcome of the election, describing it as constitutional. He said he would have preferred to follow the party’s directives however.