The Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment, Senator Bukola Saraki, has stated that senators and not the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will determine who become the Senate President when the National Assembly is inaugurated on Tuesday, June 9.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme yesterday, Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State, expressed confidence of emerging as next Senate President if capacity and merit are used as yardsticks in the selection of the Senate leadership.
Saraki said since the APC has always harped on the need for merit in choosing leaders at any level, he believes that he has what it takes to lead the Eighth Senate when it is inaugurated next Tuesday, June 9.
He also faulted the report that APC leadership has edged him out of the Senate presidency race by tactically zoning the position to North-East, saying that report was contrary to the party’s national chairman earlier position.
The National Working Committee of the APC, at its meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday night, listed some criteria for the Senate presidential candidate, which include that the Senate President must come from the geopolitical zone with the second highest number of votes, after the North-West, at the March 28 presidential election.
The other criteria are that the next Senate President must not have any corruption charges hanging on his or her neck and should be one of the most ranking senators in the current Fourth Republic. If the criteria are anything to go by, the party leadership seem to have tactically favoured Senator Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) from North-East for Senate President ahead of Senator Saraki, who is from North-Central. But reacting to the criteria for the Senate presidency, Saraki said the rules of the Senate will determine who will emerge the President of the Senate.
His words: “There are no such criteria that have been presented to senators and I am sure that statement was contrary to what the party’s chairman had said. The rules of the Senate are very clear on issue of ranking. Ranking is to give you the opportunity to compete; it doesn’t states only the most ranking will take the seat. If we bring politics to the election of the leadership of the National Assembly, we are going to make the mistakes we made in the past. “The party’s role is advisory because at the end of the day, it is the rules of the Senate which take precedent on this matter.
The party will advise the lawmakers who and who the party thinks should occupy one position or the other but it is the lawmakers who will eventually elect their leaders based on the rules of the respective assemblies and in this case, Senators will elect their President in accordance with the rules of the Senate.”
The former governor said that with the feelers he is getting and the goodwill of his colleagues, there is high hope for him to win the Senate presidency. He added that legislative and executive experience couple with his leadership skill as governor and chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and friends across every part of the country, give him an edge over other contenders. Speaking on his plan if he emerges Senate President, Saraki said the Senate under his leadership will address peopleoriented bills, adding that lawmakers will pass bills that would add developmental value in moving the country forward. Saraki also advised members of the National Assembly to pay less attention to politics or politicking and focus on nation building.
“We must move away from politics or politicking and focus more on capacity and merit because that is important in ensuring that government at the end of the day meet the promises that we all promised Nigerians. Nigerians are waiting to see us and I believe that is why many of the national leaders have said merit should be considered in the choice of the Senate leadership.
“The senators should be allowed to choose who they wanted for a stable National Assembly. I believe I have the skill to lead the Senate going by ones experience being able to have executive and legislatives. The choice and capacity of the candidate matters,” he said.
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