The Forum of National Assembly Legislative Aides from the North West has expressed displeasure with some members-elect, said to be carrying on as if they can exist without the party through which they were elected.
It called on persons contesting leadership positions outside recent choices made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) to back down.
The forum made the call in Abuja, yesterday, at a press conference, held within the premises of the National Assembly. The NWC had picked Godswill Akpabio (South-South) as preferred candidate for Senate President and Jibrin Barau (North West) as Deputy Senate President.
The party also picked Tajudeen Abbas (North West) for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives and Benjamin Kalu (South East) as Deputy Speaker.
The arrangement has, however, not been respected by some APC lawmakers-elect also interested in the positions, like Abdulaziz Yari, who is vying for Senate President, Sani Musa (Deputy Senate President) and Muktar Betara (Speaker).
The forum, in a statement signed by its zonal leader, Abdulrazaq Dunkawa, and Secretary, Silas Gabriel Garba, said: “We, legislative aides from the North West, like to place on record that the geopolitical zone contributed the highest number of votes to the APC in the presidential and National Assembly elections.
“Results from the elections show that North West played the crucial role of keeping APC in power by securing the majority of members and senators in both chambers.
“The region, no doubt, rightly deserves the zoning made by the party, as far as leadership of the 10th National Assembly is concerned.
“We, therefore, call on other contestants to allow for party supremacy.” Also, ahead of the inauguration of the 10th Assembly, about 150 House of Representatives members-elect, yesterday, stormed the national secretariat of the APC in solidarity with the party’s preferred candidate, Abbas.
Abbas, accompanied by members of the Joint Task 10th Assembly team, expressed appreciation to the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) for nominating him as next Speaker.
The hopeful, who represents Zaria federal constituency of Kaduna State, reiterated commitment towards protection of the party’s interest, the legislature and the country.
He urged the leadership of the party not to rest on its oars but rather replicate successes recorded in the general elections by producing the leadership of the Assembly.
