10th NASS should be allowed to decide own leaders — Ango Abdullahi

Former vice chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University, ABU, Zaria, and convener of the Northern Elders Forum, NEF, Prof. Ango Abdullahi has advised that members-elect of the National Assembly should be left alone to elect its own leaders.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Abdullahi emphasised that the National Assembly is an independent body and no external force should meddle in its affairs.

According to him, “Now we are at a point where the National Assembly is supposed to have leaders. Each chamber of the National Assembly is independent to decide how this should be done.

“But the basic foundation is the Constitution of the country which stipulates very clearly that there would be such an institution and how it will be formed and provide its leadership. As far as we know the Constitution should be strictly adhered to, by all concerned. All concerned here is the National Assembly, on deciding who would be the Senate President, the Speaker and other positions.

“The National Assembly is an autonomous body and decides its own leadership and mode of operation as long as it is within the context of the Constitution of this country. If we should advice people who care for this nation, the National Assembly members-elect should be left entirely alone to decide who their leaders would be.

“We like to appeal to our leaders, friends and associates in parties and government that this is honest advice and that the National Assembly should be free. This is the kind of democracy we require.

“The ruling party is not in charge of the National Assembly, the NASS is an independent body. The ruling party only has members in National Assembly and they may direct them to do their bidding but they should also allow those who do not belong to the ruling party to also exercise their rights. Their rights include demand for the leadership of the NASS. I think this should be respected.

“I commend Tinubu for accepting that the National Assembly is an independent body and that whatever they decide in their internal affairs will work with the executive in running the affairs of this country.”

He further warned against religious extremism, saying that there is no religious party in Nigeria and that every Nigerian has free will to interact in whatever part of society.

This was as he boasted that the North amassed 63 per cent of votes for APC, of which he said 33 per cent came from the Northwest.
He said, “There’s a worrying development that is happening now. Especially the issue of religion which has cropped up in our polity, this is very sad indeed. There is no religious party in this country, the Constitution is very clear, and anybody who proposes a religious party, that party will not be approved.

“So I always ask, where is the Muslim party of Nigeria? Or where is the Christian party of Nigeria? There is none. Nigerians who belong to these various ethnic and religious groups have a choice in terms of where to associate, and it is this association that has produced the government that is sitting now.

“I voted, 63 per cent of votes that brought APC into power are from Northern Nigeria. I come from the Northwest, we gave Tinubu 30-33 per cent of votes and he couldn’t get this percentage from the South where he comes from.

“So you can see that if you want to take these extreme views into our democracy, things will not be easy for this diverse country. I must pause and commend our first-generation leaders who moulded this country together despite their differences. No part of the country has been left out.”