13th June, 2019
The Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has lauded the emergence of Sen. Ahmad Lawan and Mr Femi Gbajabiamila as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
BMO said this in a statement signed by its Chairman, Mr Niyi Akinsiju and Secretary Mr Cassidy Madueke on Thursday in Abuja.
It said with the emergence of the duo the 9th National Assembly is certain to be different from the previous one.
BMO said it was obvious from the manner the caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the two chambers worked in the interest of the party to elect their choice candidates as presiding officers of the federal legislature.
The group said that anything contrary to APC’s position on the leadership of the National Assembly would have meant a repeat of the animosity that trailed Executive-Legislature relations between 2015 and 2019.
“We all saw how the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) used moles in the APC to dilute the mandate freely given to the governing party in 2015 and consequently hampered the Buhari administration,” it said.
According to the group, this culminated in the President tagging former Senate President Bukola Saraki and his co-traveler Yakubu Dogara as unpatriotic individuals, in his assessment of the 8th National Assembly.
The group noted that Nigerians would have most likely witnessed a similar scenario if the PDP backed candidates for the leadership of the legislature had clinched the Senate Presidency and the Speaker’s seat.
According to BMO, unlike the 2015 situation, party supremacy won and APC caucus members lined up behind those who are duty bound to help Buhari deliver on the promises and visions.
The group added that the emergence of candidates endorsed by the President and the party as presiding officers of the 9th National Assembly is further proof of PDP’s rejection by Nigerians.
BMO said that the opposition party and its supporters had banked on a repeat of the subterfuge that led to a renegade APC member emerging as Senate President with its support, but lost out.
The group stated that the President’s decision to show a keener interest in ensuring that only his party’s choice candidates lead the federal legislature ensure victory for the party.
“Just like it did in 2015, PDP also had the audacity to push for an opposition member as Deputy Senate President in continuation of the political heresy the former Senate President foisted on the last Senate.
“But it was refreshing to see that even some of their members in the Senate voted against the party’s position,” it said.
BMO noted that this is the first time, since 1999, that the PDP would not be in the power loop at the centre and this, in our view, bodes well for the country.
It, however, congratulated the newly elected National Assembly leadership on its emergence, and the APC for ensuring a clean sweep of all the positions set aside for the party with the majority of seats.
The group also congratulated the APC National Chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and his colleagues in the National Working Committee (NWC) as well as state governors elected on the party’s platform.
According to BMO, that those considered as true representatives of the people opted for Lawan and Gbajabiamila ahead of the PDP-backed candidates in the two chambers is commendable.
“We see it as a victory for Buhari and make bold to say that Nigerians should expect a seamless delivery of APC’s ‘Next Level’ campaign promises,” it said.
BMO said that these would come in terms of swift passage of bills that would impact positively on the lives of the average Nigerian.