When Lawmakers Throw Punches
Contrary to Nigerians’ expectations that the emergence of All Progressives Congress (APC) would redefine governance and bring about positive change, the National Assembly controlled by APC has been embroiled in avoidable leadership crisis, Omololu Ogunmad
Eventually, when elections were done at caucuses, Lawan was overwhelmingly defeated by Senator Ali Ndume in North-east caucus while Ahmad Sani emerged at the North-west caucus but was prevailed upon to step down for Na’Allah to allow peace to reign. While Sani is a member of Like Mind, Na’Allah belongs to unity forum
Since its overwhelming victory at the 2015 general election, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has caused no little stir in the polity. Not only has the party been unable to know peace within its fold, it has also raised anxiety within the nation, like the proverbial fowl which landed on a rope, causing pains and acute discomfort both to itself and the rope. All through the week, which ordinarily should be its first week of legislative business after electing its presiding officers a fortnight earlier, it has been a reign of assaults in both chambers of the National Assembly as APC lawmakers in both the Senate and the House engaged one another in a free-for-all, throwing punches at one another like elementary school pupils.
This unwholesome actions, as some would argue, has painted Nigeria, which successfully transited from one ruling political party to the other on May 29 to the admiration of the whole world, in bad light, all in less than one month.
The height of despondency now playing out in the National Assembly was the desecration of the exalted office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, which was not spared in the brawl which engulfed the House on Thursday, lasting for as long as one hour and 20 minutes. Dogara was violently pushed in the ensuing melee, prompting members of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to form a shield round about him in order to save him from further assault.
This development is in contrast with what obtained in the days that PDP held sway at the leadership of the National Assembly. The party ran like a family, protecting both its members and the party’s interests with vigour especially in the Senate and shutting out the opposition from any interference in its affairs. But reverse is now the case as APC has now become its own enemy, leaving the PDP with the task of protecting Dogara, whose party members could have injured but for PDP House members who shielded him.
This has been viewed as the paradox of a party whose slogan of change rent the atmosphere a few weeks ago, only to take over power and unleash lawlessness on the entire nation.
The development has now given the opposition PDP the opportunity to satirise the ruling party, describing the action of its members so far as nothing but a “show of shame and national embarrassment.”
According to PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisah Metuh, the unwholesome development playing out among APC members in the National Assembly attests to President Muhammadu Buhari’s lack of commitment to democratic ideals, unity and stability of the country.
The PDP further noted that the alleged disgraceful acts within the fold of the ruling party underscore the weakness of a president whom it said could not assert himself as the true leader of the troubled party. The PDP would further add that what is currently playing out in the National Assembly arose from Buhari’s inability to “respect the independence and sanctity of the legislative arm of government, the very citadel of democracy, as enshrined in the nation’s constitution”.
It added: “The barbaric attempt to physically assault a duly elected speaker, seize the mace, the authority of the House, is a direct attack on the Nigerian parliament which embodies the supremacy of the people and our freedom as a democratic nation.”
The opposition party further said “the brawling APC lawmakers ostensibly acted on instructions from the presidency, an obvious indication that Buhari is largely an interested party whose involve- ment is beyond mere body language.”
Punching the APC further, PDP alleged that its members were nurtured and bred under a party that lacks discipline, whose manifesto it said, is violence. PDP talked tough, remarking that APC does not possess the credentials as well as the capacity to govern the nation.
“If a party that has since March 28, 2015 when it got its victory, about 90 days ago, cannot resolve a basic issue of selecting its leadership in the National Assembly, clearly, their competence for national governance comes to question,” the PDP stated.
The crisis currently rocking the National Assembly arose from the struggle for power which had polarised the APC caucus in each of the chambers into factions. Instead of the APC caucus in the National Assembly to be united in pursuit of a common purpose, members now relate with one another with suspicion and strong indignation.
The trouble in the House of Representatives started after Hon. Oker Jeff from Benue State was asked by Dogara to move a motion for an executive session. Before he could do this, Hon. Abdullahi Salame from Sokoto State protested the move to dissolve into an executive session and instead headed towards the mace, the symbol of the legislature, with the intention to pick it. However, he was blocked by sergeants-at-arms.
Salame and his co-travelers in the chaos had accused Dogara of failing to read a letter addressed to him by the party leadership. The letter contained the names of nominees for the House principal positions. The names there-in are Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila (Lagos), as Majority Leader; Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa (Kano) as and Deputy Majority Leader; Hon. Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno) Chief Whip and Hon. Pally Iriase (Edo) as Deputy Chief Whip.
After Dogara was violently pushed down during the brawl, APC lawmakers mocked themselves, when they shouted: “Dogara! Dogara!! Dogara!!! APC shame! APC shame!! All we are saying is give us our rights.” It became curious as people watched the party’s slogan which hitherto was “APC change!” swiftly transforming to “APC shame!” barely few weeks after seizing power.
In the Senate earlier in the week, a similar incident had played out, which witnessed Senator Kabir Marafa (Zamfara Central) violently pushing Senator Tayo Alasoadura (Ondo South) over a related matter. Marafa was protesting seeming reluctance of Senate President Bukola Saraki to read the party’s letter containing its nominees for the four principal offices. Instead, Saraki asked all senators to return to their zonal caucuses to make their choices for the offices as it has been the tradition.
In the letter addressed to Saraki, the party had nominated Senators Ahmad Lawan (Yobe, North-east), George Akume (Benue, North-central), Olusola Adeyeye (Osun, South-west) and Abu Ibrahim (Katsina, North-west) for the positions of Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader and Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip, respectively.
But this did not go down well with Saraki’s camp as these four nominees all belonged to Senate Unity Forum, which struggled all to no avail to produce Lawan as Senate President. On the contrary, Saraki’s group, Senators of Like Mind, suggested that Akume, who hails from North-central with Saraki should be dropped while Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi, North-west) also from Lawan’s camp should emerge as Deputy Majority Leader while Francis Alimikhena (Edo North) should emerge as Deputy Chief Whip, but both the party and Unity Forum insisted that the party’s nominations must be upheld.
Eventually, when elections were done at caucuses, Lawan was overwhelmingly defeated by Senator Ali Ndume in North-east caucus while Ahmad Sani emerged at the North-west caucus but was prevailed upon to step down for Na’Allah to allow peace reign. While Sani is a member of Like Mind, Na’Allah belongs to unity forum.
In the South-south, only Alimikhena, a member of Like Mind, is an APC senator and he expectedly emerged as Deputy Whip. When Saraki eventually announced names of the officers on Thursday, only the name of the Chief Whip which had been zoned to South-west was missing. This was largely due to the caucus’ inability to hold its election. The zone eventually held the election later in the day and Adeyeye of unity forum expectedly emerged.
Although unity forum protested Saraki’s decision not to announce the party’s nominees as contained in the letter on Thursday, yet the plenary was devoid of rancour as was the case in the House.
While making the announcement, Saraki explained that the new officers were elected at their various zonal caucuses after which he said letters containing the names of their elected representatives were sent to him.
THISDAY was told on Thursday by his supporters that Saraki’s hands were tied, disclosing that whereas it was his heart’s desire for Lawan to emerge as Senate Leader to enable peace reign but he was helpless as Lawan was overwhelmingly rejected by his own North-east caucus.
The source further disclosed that the decision to finally settle for the trio of Ndume, Na’Allah and Alimikhena was reached after a lengthy meeting held by members of Senators of Like Minds, which ended at midnight on Wednesday, and a subsequent one that stretched into the wee hours of Thursday.
It was learnt that Saraki did everything in his power to persuade the senators in his camp to support the emergence of Lawan as Senate Leader but his pleas were to no avail, as the North-east caucus was said to have insisted that if Lawan, who is unpopular among his kinsmen got the post, it would be an imposition.
In all this, the APC which has lost its control over its members said it would stand by its decision on the list of principal officers it sent to the National Assembly. As a result of the protracted crisis in the National Assembly, the parliament which resumed only last Tuesday from a two-week recess had to adjourn till July 21. However, Senate had said that only the plenary had been suspended as committee meetings would go on and would also cut short its vacation if matters of national importance arise.