By Joy Odor
The Senators-elect, Suleiman Kawu (NNPP Kano South) on Monday affirmed that only elected federal lawmakers – elect will decide who to emerge as presiding officers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives as race for Presiding Officers positions for the 10th National Assembly got heated.
Kawu made the disclosure at a press briefing at the National Assembly, stressing that external interference into election of leadership of the 10th National Assembly will be resisted by majority of the federal lawmakers – elect at both chambers through the instrumentality of relevant provisions of the 1999 constitution.
The Senators-elect who kicked against the zoning arrangement by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) described the zoning as which undemocratic.
Kawu alleged that desperate politicians are planning to use undemocratic means to impose leadership at both chambers which is undemocratic and dangerous to democracy.
He boasted that the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari would emerge as President of the 10th Senate at inauguration on Tuesday next week, 13th of June.
“In my view, external interference in the election of the next Presiding Officers of the National Assembly would not only violate the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and Standing Orders of both the Senate and House of Representatives, but would also cause a serious misunderstandings between the Legislative and Executive Arms of government”.
“Section 50(1) a of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) states that, “there shall be a President and Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.
“Also, section 50(1)b stipulates that, “A Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.
“It is therefore clear that, the election of these Presiding Officers is purely an internal affair that concerns only members of the National Assembly and therefore, they should be allowed to decide who among them would occupy the positions in order to avoid repetition of the past mistakes – we may all recall the incidences of the 7th and 8th National Assembly.
“The constitution is explicit about how the President and Deputy President of the Senate shall be elected. For instance, Chapter 2 of the 9th Standing Orders of the Senate 2022 (as amended) stipulates the procedures for selection of Presiding Officers of the Senate.
“Available information reveals that some desperate politicians are planning to use undemocratic means to impose Lawmakers-elect of their choice to become Presiding Officers against the wishes of the majority.
“This move is undemocratic, unacceptable and dangerous to our democracy as well as the nation as a whole” Kawu informed.
