Suleiman Kawu Sumaila, senator-elect for Kano South Senatorial District, has vowed that only elected federal lawmakers will decide who will be the Presiding Officers in both the Senate and the House of Representatives during the 10th National Assembly’s inauguration on June 13.
Sumaila, who was elected on the platform of the New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, made the announcement at a press conference in Abuja on Monday.
He argued that the previous zoning arrangement made by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC’s National Working Committee, NWC, was undemocratic.
The lawmaker-elect emphasized that any external interference in the election of the leadership of the 10th National Assembly will be resisted by a majority of federal lawmakers-elect in both chambers using relevant provisions of the 1999 constitution.
“The constitution is clear about how the President and Deputy President of the Senate shall be elected,” he said. For example, Chapter 2 of the 9th Standing Orders of the Senate 2022 (as amended) specifies the procedures for selecting Senate Presiding Officers.
“Similarly, Section 50(1) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) states, “There shall be a President and Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected from among themselves by the members of that House.”
“Also, section 50(1)b provides for “a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected from among themselves by the members of that House.”
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“It is thus clear that the election of these Presiding Officers is purely an internal affair affecting only members of the National Assembly, and as such, they should be allowed to choose who among them will fill the positions in order to avoid repeating past mistakes – we can all recall the incidents of the 7th and 8th National Assembly.”
“External interference in the election of the next Presiding Officers of the National Assembly, in my opinion, would not only violate provisions of the Nigerian Constitution and Standing Orders of both the Senate and House of Representatives but would also lead to serious misunderstandings between the Legislative and Executive Arms of government.”
Sumaila claimed that desperate politicians were planning to impose leadership in both chambers through undemocratic means, which he described as undemocratic and dangerous to democracy.
“According to available information, some desperate politicians intend to use undemocratic means to impose lawmakers-elect of their choice as 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,” he said.
