JUST IN: NASS c’ttees: Lobbyists scramble for Tinubu, Gbajabiamila’s endorsements

The jostle for the chairmanship and membership of key standing committees of both the Senate and the House of Representatives is already generating heat.

This is because lawmakers seeking to head these committees are said to be bypassing the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and speaker, Mr Tajudeen Abass and are focused on getting the endorsement of President Bola Tinubu and his Chief of Staff, Mr Femi Gbajabimiala, Vanguard has learned.

Some of the juicy committees include Appropriations, Finance, Public Accounts, Defence (Army, Navy and Air Force), Police Affairs, National Security and Intelligence, Customs and Excise, and Ports and Harbours, among others.

Vanguard was reliably informed that some lawmakers, who worked for the emergence of both Akpabio and Abass as Senate President and Speaker respectively are aggrieved that they are not being considered for some of the committees.

Multiple sources also told Vanguard that lawmakers are already lobbying some influential forces in the Presidency to ensure their names are part of the committees when it is announced by the end of the month..

It was further gathered that some lawmakers are angry that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, is not making moves to have their input in the matter.

Senate President, Speaker helpless over standing c’ttees

A lawmaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, disclosed that some of his colleagues are bypassing both the Senate President and Speaker and are trying to lobby the presidency to ensure they get “these juicy committees.

The aggrieved lawmaker said: “We are just looking at the whole drama here. The party knows nothing about what is going on and they want us to keep quiet in all these. It was this kind of thing that made our national chairman speak out and they almost called for his head.

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“This is party democracy and the party has to be accorded the due recognition and respect. But the situation we have found ourselves is so pathetic that the president is gradually allowing his Lagos boys to take over and charge of everything. It hurts, honestly.

“For instance, how can the president set up a committee and make the SGF work under the Chief of Staff? Where is this done? Governors, including our progressive governors, are now at the mercy of the Chief of Staff?”

Another lawmaker, who expressed reservations on the matter, said: “Some of us are going to raise these issues because if this is allowed to continue unchecked, it will affect our chances in future elections.

“Take a look at the situation whereby both the Senate President and the Speaker are helpless in the choice of their standing committees. All the committees have been perfected and they were done from the Villa and merely handed down to the presiding officers for announcement on July 27th.

“You will be shocked to see that aside from the chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Solomon Adeola, another of Tinubu’s boys, Faleke will take Appropriation in the House. For those not close enough to the Chief of Staff, they buy their way through by way of paying heavily; at least, we are aware of one who allegedly paid N1 billion to retain his position.”

It’s an attempt to undermine Speaker —Rep Ugochinyere

Speaking on the committee chairmanship seats, the Deputy Chairman of the House Adhoc Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Mr Ikenga Ugochinyere said the power for a final decision on committee Chairmanship rests squarely and exclusively with the Speaker, deputy speaker and body of principal officers.

Ugochinyere, who denied the move by some lawmakers to lobby the presidency, said it was an attempt to undermine the speaker.

He said: “Those comments are attempts to undermine the speaker. At no time did I see any member going to the villa to lobby? Who are they lobbying in the lobby? Is that person the Speaker? The body of principal officers will decide after due consultation. Of course, anybody can reach out to anybody but not to the extent of making it look like the authority and power do not rest with the House of Representatives or the Speaker. You can talk to the national chairman of APC. You can talk to the President.

“To say that members have now relocated to the Villa to get committee Chairmanship, to me, it’s an attempt to undermine the independence of the parliament which is a lie. The speaker, Tajudeen Abbas and his deputy, Benjamin Kalu are firmly in control of the House working together with the body of principal officers and we members agree with them that…this decision rests squarely with them and the Selection Committee.

“The selection committee just met for the first time 3 days ago. They are having their second meeting this week. What is even delaying this thing is not the issue of lobbying. It is because new committees have been created and new reforms have been carried out as it has to do with our rule book, etc. Remember that each of these committees is reflected in the standing rule. So, if you make amendments or carry out reforms, you must amend the rule book so that there will not be a conflict of interest or clash within different committees.

“So, what is holding us is that there is a committee that is working on the amendment of the House rules to reflect those new committees and reforms that the speaker and the leadership of the House have carried out. When they are done, they will print the rule book this week and share it.

“Ok, those people that are lobbying now, do you know the committee that is existing and the one that does not exist? So, what are you lobbying for?

“So normally, people can reach out ahead of the composition of the standing committee but to say that power has been removed from the House of Representatives and it is given to somebody somewhere, I do not agree with you. Anybody that is a VIP or has influence people will consult.

“Some may even travel to Kaduna to consult the Emir of Zazzua to be able to get one or two things from them but that power rests with the body of principal officers led by the speaker and the deputy.

“I speak to you, I am giving you detailed information that the first meeting of the selection committee has been held, that was on Thursday or Friday. The second meeting is holding this week and apart from that, the committee on the House rule amendment met on Thursday, they are also meeting this week. They have been given a matching order by the speaker as of the last inauguration to make sure that the rule is delivered to the selection committee latest before Wednesday.

“So, that means that we are at the critical stage to know the number of the committees that we are going to have and know their responsibility and ensure that the rule book is amended to accommodate those reforms that the speaker and the leadership have carried before you make the announcement.

“I can tell you also that the announcement will be made on or before 27 of this month. The whole thing has been done. It’s just to effect these changes and then announce them. So, the power to choose these standing committees rests squarely on the speaker and the selection committee. But I am not ruling out normal lobbying.

“Ok, why are you not talking about those who are lobbying the speaker, chasing him up to Zaria? Some people are lobbying the deputy, the House leaders, and their governors, it is normal in parliamentary business to lobby and reach out but the power for that final decision rests squarely and exclusively with the selection committee and more importantly with the leadership led by the speaker and his deputy. And I don’t think anything has changed. So, that is a comment to ridicule and undermine the capacity of the leadership to do their job. There is nobody that is interfering.”