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The anxiety is high amongst stakeholders and at the public domain on whether elections of the National Assembly leadership billed to hold on June 11 would be free, and even if they are free, whether they would be fair as well as producing credible and acceptable results.
Ordinarily, nobody outside the perimeter of the National Assembly would have noticed or observed any build up to the next federal lawmakers’ leadership elections. This is because, by virtue of constitutional provision for emergence of the National Assembly leadership, it ought to have been exclusive preserve, affair and solemn exercise for and by the lawmakers to perform.
It all began on Monday March 25, 2019, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole disclosed that Senator Ahmed Lawan has been endorsed as the 9th senate president. This was while President Muhammadu Buhari was hosting state governors and senators-elect of the APC to a dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja that night. Yet, at another dinner held with the House of Representatives members-elect, Oshiomhole declared that Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has been endorsed as Speaker for the 9th House of Representatives.
By March 26, 2019, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, one of the contenders for the Senate Presidency, described the endorsement APC handed to Lawan as unconstitutional and completely against the spirit of fair play. The Borno South Senator told reporters in Abuja that the position of the party on who emerges the Senate President cannot stand as it did not follow due process.
“We were surprised on Monday when national chairman of our party told us a decision had been taken to adopt Ahmad Lawan as candidate from the North East for the position of the President of the Senate. The reason why I am shocked and I am sure that is the feeling of my colleagues, is that the constitutional provision for the emergence of the leadership of the Senate is clearly spelt out.
“Section 51 (a) of the Constitution says that “there shall be a Senate President and Deputy Senate President who shall be elected by members of the House. Section 1 of the Constitution clearly states that “this Constitution is binding on all Nigerians and government agencies’’, Ndume stated.
Several members of the House of Representatives have equally declared their interests to contest for the position of a speaker, notwithstanding the threat by former Lagos state Governor Bola Tinubu and Oshiomhole to remove anyone that goes against their interest from the ruling party.
At the last count, Senator Danjuma Goje has not publically declared to contest, but there is ample evidence that he is in the race for the 9th senate presidency contest, which makes it three jostling for the position. Not less than a dozen are also preparing to contest against Gbajabiamila for Reps speakership.

With the feats of derring-do of the APC senators and Reps members, who ostensibly asked Tinubu and Oshiomhole to go to places with their threats, it has become obvious that underhand measures are currently being employed by the APC leadership using government instrumentality to achieve its interest, which some stakeholders have christened as selfish.
Efcc Quizzes NASS Clerk, Seizes Passport

On May 14, 2019, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) interrogated the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori, on issues related to records of finances of the Assembly as well as the inauguration of the ninth National Assembly.
Omolori who was quizzed for six hours was made to write answers to questions asked by the commission on records of finances of the National Assembly, but subsequently directed to answer questions on issues bordering on National Assembly inauguration verbally.
Specifically, EFCC interrogator asked Omolori to tell whether he will apply the Senate Rule of secret balloting or open balloting in the conduct of election of the presiding officers of the ninth National Assembly.
Curiously, when Omolori said the prevailing National Assembly Rule mandates elections to be conducted through secret balloting, the EFCC interrogator demanded for his international passport for confiscation.
EFCC And Lawmakers
Contrary to the letters of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the EFCC appears to be hair-splitting the charges with which the Senate President, Bukola Saraki was tried by the Federal Government for over three years at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) until they were dismissed by the Supreme Court.
Section 36 (9) of the Constitution prohibits the trial of any person more than once on the same wrongs, on the grounds that it would amount to ‘’double-jeopardy’’.
The commission had on May 10, 2019 or so seized some houses, which are located at 15a, 15b and 17 MacDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, the anti-graft agency believed belong to Saraki. Since the EFCC was unsure of which of the properties that actually belong to the Senate President decided to place inscriptions and stickers on all of them.
While 15a and 15b were declared by Saraki in his asset declaration form, it is believed that some other houses on the street were bought by the Senate President from the Presidential Implementation Committee for the Sales of Government Property through shell companies. As a matter of fact, EFCC presented evidence against Saraki before the CCT in 2016, over ownership of those houses on MacDonald Road.
The commission has gone as far as petitioning Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja before the National Judicial Council (NJC) for restraining it from probing Saraki’s earnings and emoluments as Governor of Kwara from 2003 to 2011. Of course, Saraki was not the only person that was a governor within that period. The question is, if there is no ulterior motive, which some stakeholders alleged has to do with the 9th National Assembly election, why is the commission so much interested in the governance of Kwara state between 2003 and 2011 alone? That’s the question begging for answers.
A supporter of Ndume alleged last week that there was a grand plan to arrest some of his colleagues ahead of the inauguration. The senator said the EFCC recently arrested a highly ranking senator with the aim of making him to declare openly for their opponent, which failed.
“A ranking PDP senator was invited by the EFCC recently and would have been kept behind the bars until after the inauguration but for the timely intervention of a strong member of the APC who signed his bail conditions.
“The PDP ranking senator was actually invited over the same case that he had earlier defended before the EFCC. A principal officer of the Senate was said to have even approached him that he should openly declare for Lawan so that the EFCC would discontinue with the case.”
Threat To Distrup Inauguration
At the buildup to the inauguration of the ninth National Assembly, Senators Ndume and Lawan, are flexing muscles and spoiling for war over the voting pattern to be adopted in the election of presiding officers. While Lawan is canvassing for open balloting, Ndume is insisting that the secret balloting option enshrined in the current senate Rule shall prevail.
An APC senator in Lawan’s camp, who wants to be deputy senate president told some journalists recently that the inauguration might be disrupted if the management decides to adopt the secret ballot method.
“We are going to adopt the open ballot system because that is the standard practice all over the World. The 2015 Rule Book which made provisions for the secret ballot was forged, we must use the 2011 version. I cannot guarantee that the event would be peaceful if the management succumbed to the pressures of the current presiding officers of the eight National Assembly by conducting the election through a secret ballot arrangement.”
Countering Lawan’s supporter, Ndume’s loyalist warned that management must adopt the secret voting method to avoid any violent clash on inauguration day.
The senator-elect, who also spoke on condition of anonymity said: “The Lawan group are jittery that their candidate would not win if the management adopts the current Rule Book to conduct the election. It is clear to the pro-Lawan senators-elect that some leadership of the APC are trying to force Senate Leader on all of us and we would reject such an imposition.
“We have also learnt that they have planned to use thugs to stop some anti-Lawan senators-elect from entering the National Assembly premises on the day of inauguration. We have also established it from good authorities that names of some anti-Lawan senators have been forwarded to the EFCC to be arrested and kept behind bars until after the inauguration. We are fully prepared and ready for them. Those making threats to unleash violence on the inauguration day would be taken on stretcher out of the National Assembly if they attempt to disrupt the inauguration”.
This is just as Senator Kabiru Gaya (Kano south, APC) has also insisted that the provisions of the Senate Standing Rule which stipulates secret balloting system to elect presiding officers shall be applied in the elections of the next National Assembly leadership.
While briefing the National Assembly correspondents last week, Gaya said although with barely one month to inauguration, it is practically impossible to change the standing rule but cautioned that any attempt to effect a change in the Rule must be in strict compliance with Parliamentary procedures.
Gaya’s comments came in reaction to recent protests and calls to the Senate to adopt the open ballot system in electing its presiding officers for the ninth Senate.
According to Gaya, the process of amending the Senate Rules is such that a motion to that effect would be sponsored on the Senate floor and would be considered thoroughly by the Senate.
He said, “Such motion must be presented before the end of the life span of this Senate and processed and approved. Anything outside that is outside the due process. Between 2011 Rule and 2015 Rule, which one comes last? The second one supersedes the first one.
‘’I am a member of the National Assembly. And we were able to do these rules together. We cannot change it now unless a member of the Senate moves for that change. If he moves for the change and somebody seconds it, the motion will be debated and the same thing also in the House of Representatives. It will be debated. If there is discrepancy between the Senate and the House, we will set up a Conference Committee. And they will bring it to us to find a date to sit down and pass it. Can you do that in one month’’? Gaya queried
Senate Deputy Minority leader, Emmanuel Bwacha, also reacting to the development, said the Senate Rule on Secret Voting remains valid adding that “I am not aware that the Senate Rule has been changed”

Plot To Bar Journalists
Perhaps, ostensibly to show he is ready to cooperate, National Assembly management under the leadership of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori, on May 20, 2019 issued some stringent conditions to bar journalists from covering the ninth National Assembly leadership elections.
In what looks like a measure to shroud conduct of the 9th National Assembly leadership elections in secrecy, or to hold the election in the darkness in order to breach protocol and set aside rule of law, the management, in a statement by the Director of Information, Emmanuel Agada, in Abuja said the new guidelines for fresh accreditation would take effect on the day of inauguration.
According to a senator who crave anonymity, the guidelines momentarily stripped some people starkly naked in the public square, including the National Assembly management and the anti-democratic forces working so hard to impose people as the 9th National Assembly leadership.
‘’But they least expected the public and international outrage that greeted the announcement of the guidelines. National Assembly marks the image of our democracy. If we get it wrong, our democracy can collapse on our face.
‘’President Buhari cannot continues to look the other way while some of his party members are holding the country hostage. Let him note that whatever goes wrong, goes wrong in his name. In ten years from now, nobody would ever remember what Tinubu, Oshiomhole or other members of his current political family did wrong under his leadership. Every wrong or right thing done would be ascribed to him.
‘’The President should insist on the rule of law to prevail on the day of inauguration now that the whole world is watching, and the Nigeria public and more importantly the senators-elect are laying ambush, and set to counter untoward actions his immediate political family may wish to further bankroll to achieve their selfish interest’’, the senator advised. (Leadership NG)
Ordinarily, nobody outside the perimeter of the National Assembly would have noticed or observed any build up to the next federal lawmakers’ leadership elections. This is because, by virtue of constitutional provision for emergence of the National Assembly leadership, it ought to have been exclusive preserve, affair and solemn exercise for and by the lawmakers to perform.
It all began on Monday March 25, 2019, when the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole disclosed that Senator Ahmed Lawan has been endorsed as the 9th senate president. This was while President Muhammadu Buhari was hosting state governors and senators-elect of the APC to a dinner at the Presidential Villa, Abuja that night. Yet, at another dinner held with the House of Representatives members-elect, Oshiomhole declared that Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila has been endorsed as Speaker for the 9th House of Representatives.
By March 26, 2019, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, one of the contenders for the Senate Presidency, described the endorsement APC handed to Lawan as unconstitutional and completely against the spirit of fair play. The Borno South Senator told reporters in Abuja that the position of the party on who emerges the Senate President cannot stand as it did not follow due process.
“We were surprised on Monday when national chairman of our party told us a decision had been taken to adopt Ahmad Lawan as candidate from the North East for the position of the President of the Senate. The reason why I am shocked and I am sure that is the feeling of my colleagues, is that the constitutional provision for the emergence of the leadership of the Senate is clearly spelt out.
“Section 51 (a) of the Constitution says that “there shall be a Senate President and Deputy Senate President who shall be elected by members of the House. Section 1 of the Constitution clearly states that “this Constitution is binding on all Nigerians and government agencies’’, Ndume stated.
Several members of the House of Representatives have equally declared their interests to contest for the position of a speaker, notwithstanding the threat by former Lagos state Governor Bola Tinubu and Oshiomhole to remove anyone that goes against their interest from the ruling party.
At the last count, Senator Danjuma Goje has not publically declared to contest, but there is ample evidence that he is in the race for the 9th senate presidency contest, which makes it three jostling for the position. Not less than a dozen are also preparing to contest against Gbajabiamila for Reps speakership.

With the feats of derring-do of the APC senators and Reps members, who ostensibly asked Tinubu and Oshiomhole to go to places with their threats, it has become obvious that underhand measures are currently being employed by the APC leadership using government instrumentality to achieve its interest, which some stakeholders have christened as selfish.
Efcc Quizzes NASS Clerk, Seizes Passport

On May 14, 2019, the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) interrogated the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori, on issues related to records of finances of the Assembly as well as the inauguration of the ninth National Assembly.
Omolori who was quizzed for six hours was made to write answers to questions asked by the commission on records of finances of the National Assembly, but subsequently directed to answer questions on issues bordering on National Assembly inauguration verbally.
Specifically, EFCC interrogator asked Omolori to tell whether he will apply the Senate Rule of secret balloting or open balloting in the conduct of election of the presiding officers of the ninth National Assembly.
Curiously, when Omolori said the prevailing National Assembly Rule mandates elections to be conducted through secret balloting, the EFCC interrogator demanded for his international passport for confiscation.
EFCC And Lawmakers
Contrary to the letters of the 1999 Constitution as amended, the EFCC appears to be hair-splitting the charges with which the Senate President, Bukola Saraki was tried by the Federal Government for over three years at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) until they were dismissed by the Supreme Court.
Section 36 (9) of the Constitution prohibits the trial of any person more than once on the same wrongs, on the grounds that it would amount to ‘’double-jeopardy’’.
The commission had on May 10, 2019 or so seized some houses, which are located at 15a, 15b and 17 MacDonald Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, the anti-graft agency believed belong to Saraki. Since the EFCC was unsure of which of the properties that actually belong to the Senate President decided to place inscriptions and stickers on all of them.
While 15a and 15b were declared by Saraki in his asset declaration form, it is believed that some other houses on the street were bought by the Senate President from the Presidential Implementation Committee for the Sales of Government Property through shell companies. As a matter of fact, EFCC presented evidence against Saraki before the CCT in 2016, over ownership of those houses on MacDonald Road.
The commission has gone as far as petitioning Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja before the National Judicial Council (NJC) for restraining it from probing Saraki’s earnings and emoluments as Governor of Kwara from 2003 to 2011. Of course, Saraki was not the only person that was a governor within that period. The question is, if there is no ulterior motive, which some stakeholders alleged has to do with the 9th National Assembly election, why is the commission so much interested in the governance of Kwara state between 2003 and 2011 alone? That’s the question begging for answers.
A supporter of Ndume alleged last week that there was a grand plan to arrest some of his colleagues ahead of the inauguration. The senator said the EFCC recently arrested a highly ranking senator with the aim of making him to declare openly for their opponent, which failed.
“A ranking PDP senator was invited by the EFCC recently and would have been kept behind the bars until after the inauguration but for the timely intervention of a strong member of the APC who signed his bail conditions.
“The PDP ranking senator was actually invited over the same case that he had earlier defended before the EFCC. A principal officer of the Senate was said to have even approached him that he should openly declare for Lawan so that the EFCC would discontinue with the case.”
Threat To Distrup Inauguration
At the buildup to the inauguration of the ninth National Assembly, Senators Ndume and Lawan, are flexing muscles and spoiling for war over the voting pattern to be adopted in the election of presiding officers. While Lawan is canvassing for open balloting, Ndume is insisting that the secret balloting option enshrined in the current senate Rule shall prevail.
An APC senator in Lawan’s camp, who wants to be deputy senate president told some journalists recently that the inauguration might be disrupted if the management decides to adopt the secret ballot method.
“We are going to adopt the open ballot system because that is the standard practice all over the World. The 2015 Rule Book which made provisions for the secret ballot was forged, we must use the 2011 version. I cannot guarantee that the event would be peaceful if the management succumbed to the pressures of the current presiding officers of the eight National Assembly by conducting the election through a secret ballot arrangement.”
Countering Lawan’s supporter, Ndume’s loyalist warned that management must adopt the secret voting method to avoid any violent clash on inauguration day.
The senator-elect, who also spoke on condition of anonymity said: “The Lawan group are jittery that their candidate would not win if the management adopts the current Rule Book to conduct the election. It is clear to the pro-Lawan senators-elect that some leadership of the APC are trying to force Senate Leader on all of us and we would reject such an imposition.
“We have also learnt that they have planned to use thugs to stop some anti-Lawan senators-elect from entering the National Assembly premises on the day of inauguration. We have also established it from good authorities that names of some anti-Lawan senators have been forwarded to the EFCC to be arrested and kept behind bars until after the inauguration. We are fully prepared and ready for them. Those making threats to unleash violence on the inauguration day would be taken on stretcher out of the National Assembly if they attempt to disrupt the inauguration”.
This is just as Senator Kabiru Gaya (Kano south, APC) has also insisted that the provisions of the Senate Standing Rule which stipulates secret balloting system to elect presiding officers shall be applied in the elections of the next National Assembly leadership.
While briefing the National Assembly correspondents last week, Gaya said although with barely one month to inauguration, it is practically impossible to change the standing rule but cautioned that any attempt to effect a change in the Rule must be in strict compliance with Parliamentary procedures.
Gaya’s comments came in reaction to recent protests and calls to the Senate to adopt the open ballot system in electing its presiding officers for the ninth Senate.
According to Gaya, the process of amending the Senate Rules is such that a motion to that effect would be sponsored on the Senate floor and would be considered thoroughly by the Senate.
He said, “Such motion must be presented before the end of the life span of this Senate and processed and approved. Anything outside that is outside the due process. Between 2011 Rule and 2015 Rule, which one comes last? The second one supersedes the first one.
‘’I am a member of the National Assembly. And we were able to do these rules together. We cannot change it now unless a member of the Senate moves for that change. If he moves for the change and somebody seconds it, the motion will be debated and the same thing also in the House of Representatives. It will be debated. If there is discrepancy between the Senate and the House, we will set up a Conference Committee. And they will bring it to us to find a date to sit down and pass it. Can you do that in one month’’? Gaya queried
Senate Deputy Minority leader, Emmanuel Bwacha, also reacting to the development, said the Senate Rule on Secret Voting remains valid adding that “I am not aware that the Senate Rule has been changed”

Plot To Bar Journalists
Perhaps, ostensibly to show he is ready to cooperate, National Assembly management under the leadership of the Clerk to the National Assembly, Mohammed Ataba Sani-Omolori, on May 20, 2019 issued some stringent conditions to bar journalists from covering the ninth National Assembly leadership elections.
In what looks like a measure to shroud conduct of the 9th National Assembly leadership elections in secrecy, or to hold the election in the darkness in order to breach protocol and set aside rule of law, the management, in a statement by the Director of Information, Emmanuel Agada, in Abuja said the new guidelines for fresh accreditation would take effect on the day of inauguration.
According to a senator who crave anonymity, the guidelines momentarily stripped some people starkly naked in the public square, including the National Assembly management and the anti-democratic forces working so hard to impose people as the 9th National Assembly leadership.
‘’But they least expected the public and international outrage that greeted the announcement of the guidelines. National Assembly marks the image of our democracy. If we get it wrong, our democracy can collapse on our face.
‘’President Buhari cannot continues to look the other way while some of his party members are holding the country hostage. Let him note that whatever goes wrong, goes wrong in his name. In ten years from now, nobody would ever remember what Tinubu, Oshiomhole or other members of his current political family did wrong under his leadership. Every wrong or right thing done would be ascribed to him.
‘’The President should insist on the rule of law to prevail on the day of inauguration now that the whole world is watching, and the Nigeria public and more importantly the senators-elect are laying ambush, and set to counter untoward actions his immediate political family may wish to further bankroll to achieve their selfish interest’’, the senator advised. (Leadership NG)
