NASS: What APC must do to avoid repeat of Saraki, Dogara’s emergence – Nabena

Mr. Yekini Nabena, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has called on the party’s national leadership to set up mechanisms for the zoning and selection of preferred principal officers for the incoming 9th National Assembly.

Recall that Senate President, Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, emerged against the party’s arrangement.

He made the call in a statement on Saturday in Abuja, adding that this was critical to avoiding a repeat of the political crisis that followed the election of the National Assembly leadership in 2015.

He said that the National Assembly was a strategic arm of government to achieve the APC’s change agenda for the country and should, therefore, not be led by persons who would sabotage government’s efforts.

“I call on the party’s leadership to urgently set up mechanisms for the zoning and selection of our preferred principal officers who will join the President Muhammadu Buhari administration in implementing our change agenda.

“Aside being president, Buhari is a respected father figure among party members and supporters.

“His direct involvement and views will be very important as the party works around the zoning and selection arrangements for principal NASS officers,” Nabena said.

He advised that President Buhari should play a leading role in the APC’s internal selection arrangement for the incoming 9th National Assembly.

“The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lost the presidential election and they have now adopted a plan B from their infamous Dubai strategy meeting.

“The plan is to hijack the incoming National Assembly leadership by repeating their heinous coup in the previous Assembly.

“The APC must prevent a repeat of a situation where despite our overwhelming majority in the outgoing 8th Senate and House of Representatives, its leadership was hijacked by saboteurs and their opposition PDP collaborators,” he said.

He recalled how the outgoing 8th National Assembly under Bukola Saraki as the President of the Senate, sabotaged the present administration in pursuit of selfish political interests of the PDP.

Nabena noted that but for the principled, focused and dogged governance of President Buhari, many of the unprecedented development achievements recorded would have been completely sabotaged.