Dogara blows hot, says imposed NASS leadership will fail
- Yakubu Dogara has warned against imposition of leadership for 9th National Assembly
- The speaker of House of Reps said the leadership of the 9th NASS should be allowed to emerge from elected lawmakers
- Dogara, however, noted that a situation where leadership is forced down the throat of elected members had never endured in the National Assembly
Yakubu Dogara, the speaker of House of Representatives has said the leadership of the ninth National Assembly should be allowed to emerge from elected parliamentarians.
The Nation reports that Dogara said on Monday, April 8, that any leadership that is forced on the National Assembly would fail.
Legit.ng gathered that he spoke in Abuja at the ongoing induction of senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect of the ninth National Assembly.
He noted that a situation where leadership is forced and literally driven down the throat of elected members had never endured in the National Assembly.
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He advised senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect to look out for those who have thrown themselves into the race to see who would aggregate their aspirations better.
Dogara said the least legislators could afford in the National Assembly is crisis on account of the leadership selection process.
He said: “Well, I guess that it is not a subject matter you may want just to offer an advice on because we are all parliamentarians those that have been elected, we will be here for four years to serve the people. Leadership is always something that emerges from people.
“Some of us that have been a bit old in the field, we know how that is done. My advice is that we stay calm to understand the people going in for these positions of leadership in the National Assembly.
“At the end of the day we are praying that we have those leaders who will be able to sustain what we have done in the eight Assembly or even surpass what we have done. We don’t want leadership that will take us back."
On the role of party in the emergence of leadership at the National Assembly, he said: “Well, I’m not here to dictate to parties, the parties have their manifestoes, the way to do their businesses but one thing I have said and if you followed the business during this induction, it is always better to allow the leadership to emerge from the people."
In his comments, one of the contenders for Senate president, Senator Ali Ndume, said that the National Assembly was drifting and has been privatised to some extents. He noted that when positions have been zoned, members of the zones should be allowed to choose among themselves.
Ndume also said that a situation where the presiding officer rules out a member who has contribution to make should be reconsidered.
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Dogara laughed and noted that since Ndume is running for the Senate president, if he gets it, he would know where the shoe pinches.
Dogara said: “If you become the Senate president, you will like to exercise such power because I know you very well. Certain unwritten rules are applied by the presiding officer to stabilise the chamber. If a member raises point of order, the presiding officer may even tell him to approach the chair."
Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the Sustainable Democracy Agenda (SUDA), a political group, said the anointed candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the position of president of the 9th Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan, enjoys the support of majority of voters in the country.
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Source: Legit.ng
