NASS leadership: Aspirants in ‘cash-and-carry contest’, Lukman alleges

Obiora Ifoh, Abuja

Salihu Lukman, the All Progressives Congress (APC) national vice chairman (Northwest) has alleged that there is ongoing ‘cash-and-carry contest’ for the leadership of 10th National Assembly.

Lukman said some of the aspirants, including a contender for the position of speaker of the House of Representatives from the north-west have sent bags of rice and sugar to members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC).

The former director-general of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) in a statement on Monday, also said there were speculations that some aspirants were bribing party leaders to stop the party from zoning positions.

He said there was also the disturbing report from House members-elect that one aspirant for the position of speaker from northeast apart from bribing members-elect with huge amounts of money, is also offering jeeps to members-elect if they will commit to electing him as the next speaker.

So far, Ahmed Idris-Wase, deputy speaker; Gagdi (APC, Plateau), Benjamin Kalu (APC, Abia); Aminu Jaji (APC, Zamfara); Makki Yalleman (APC-Jigawa), Tajudeen Abass (Kaduna); Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), Muktar Betara (APC, Borno), Abdulraheem Olawuyi (APC, Kwara) and Miriam Onuoha (APC, Imo) have indicated interest to run for the speakership position.

Lukman said the aspirations of some of the lawmakers were in disregard for national unity and outright disrespect for Nigerians, especially the persons of Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima, the President-elect and Vice-President-elect.

He also said some of the aspiring candidates for the positions of Senate president and speaker of the House were neither concerned about the security and well-being of Nigeria nor were they in disturbed about factors that could erode the electoral viability of the APC.

“Those aspiring candidates for these positions, two of them Muslims from North-West (Abdul-Aziz Yari, Zamafara and Barau Jibrin, Kano) aspiring for the position of Senate president and one of them from north-east aspiring for the position of the speaker of the House (Betara) who are desperately mobilising support in unethical manner without any regard or respect to the party and its leadership.

“This has reduced the contest for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly to cash-and-carry. To say the least, this is both disappointing and worrisome.

“How can APC elected representatives descend so low as to be using unethical methods of cash-and-carry to mobilise support for their aspirations? The two Senators-elect who are being alleged to be involved in such unethical methods are both Muslims from the north-west,” the ex PGF boss said.

He said conscious that APC has already produced two Muslims as President-elect and Vice President-elect, it should be very clear that any person whose aspiration for the position of Senate president being the number three highest ranking position in the country who is a Muslim will not mean well for Nigeria and will be working to undermine the electoral viability of APC as a political party.

Lukman said any Muslim aspiring for the position of Senate president has no respect for both the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the APC.