President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has had his way with the 10th National Assembly as his choice to lead the legislative arm of government were all elected into the posts the President and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) zoned to them following the proclamation and inauguration of the new assembly on Tuesday, 13 June, 2023.
At the upper chamber of the National Assembly, the President’s pick, Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) emerged the 10th President of the Senate by defeating Senator Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara). Akpabio, a former Senator Minority Leader, polled 63 votes to defeat Yari, an ex- governor of Zamfara, who garnered 46 votes.
Senator Ali Ndume (Borno State) nominated Akpabio, which nomination was seconded by Senator Olamilekan Solomon Yayi (Ogun State).
Senator Ishaku Abbo (Adamawa State) nominated Yari.
Another handpicked choice of the President, who is the immediate past Chairman, Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Jibrin Barau (Kano State) emerged as the Deputy Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.
Barau’s candidature was unopposed. Barau wasnominated by the former Governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi and seconded by Senator Salisu Mustapha.
In the House of Representatives, the preferred candidate of President Tinubu and the APC, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, emerged Speaker.
Hon. Abbas polled 353 votes to emerge as Speaker after a roll call of members-elect, 359 out of 360 members that participated in the process of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.
Majority of the members-elect openly declared their votes for Abbas.
There were three contestants in the race, with the winner expected to defeat the others by a simple majority.
Abbas, after crossing the winning margin in the election, defeated his opponents: immediate past Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, and Sani Jaji, who polled three votes, respectively.
Another anointed candidate, Hon. Benjamin Kalu (Abia State) was declared deputy speaker.
Kalu was declared unopposed after his nomination by Hon. Babajimi Benson (Lagos State), seconded by Hon. Waziri Ibrahim (Yobe State).
Since the President’s men are now in charge of the National Assembly, public analysts say policies which he would come up with in line with his “Renewed Hope” agenda are expected to sail through without much glitches.
However, some analysts say the outcome of the National Assembly leadership contest does not guarantee a hitch-free Executive-Legislative relationship, warning that “the President needs to mend fences with the ‘dissidents’ at the National Assembly. To walk away in the euphoria of victory might be inimical to the actualisation of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope plans.”
Leave a Reply