News Analysis: 9th National Assembly and Shadow Boxing 2023

By Salihu Moh. Lukman

Since the APC leadership endorsement of the candidature of Sen. Ahmed Lawan, Senator representing Yobe North of Yobe State and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, House of Representatives member representing Surulere of Lagos State for the leadership of the 9th National Assembly, respectively as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, some elected APC Senators and House of Representatives members aspiring for these positions have come out to declare their opposition. Who are these elected representatives and why are they opposed to the decision of the APC leadership? What does this opposition mean? Does it suggest that the party is not in control of its members? Or does it confirm that the decision of the party’s leadership is actually an imposition, which means that there was little or no consultations within the party before the decisions?

Leading the opposition to the party’s choice of Sen. Ahmed Lawan in the Senate are Sen. Ali Ndume, Senator representing Borno South and Sen. Danjuma Goje, representing Gombe Central of Gombe State. Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, representing Nasarawa West of Nasarawa State and Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia North of Abia were reported to have aspired for the position but later withdrew. While leading the opposition against the party’s choice of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila in the House of Representatives are Hon. Umaru Mohammed Bago, representing Chanchagi of Niger State; Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, representing Wase of Plateau State; Hon. John Dyegh, representing Gboko/Tarka of Benue State; Hon. Nkiru Onyejiocha, representing Isuikwato/Umunneochi of Abia State; Hon. Abdulrazaq Namdas, representing Jada/Ganye/Mayo/Belwa/Tonga of Adamawa State; Hon. Yusuf Buba Yakub, representing Gombi/Hong of Adamawa; and Hon. Chika Okafor, representing Uboma/Obowo of Imo State.

The first time the party announced its decision, endorsing the candidature of Sen. Lawan for the position of the Senate President of the 9th Senate was on Monday, March 25, 2019, at a dinner with the 65 APC Senators elected on the platform of the APC hosted by President Buhari. Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, APC National Chairman was reported to have informed the 65 Senators-elect that the APC National Working Committee (NWC), having consulted with APC Governors and APC leaders, reached the decision that Sen. Ahmed Lawan is the candidate of the party for the position of Senate President. Senators Ndume and Goje were present at the dinner as well as about 12 APC Governors.

Immediately following the announcement of the party’s decision, Sen. Ndume expressed his opposition to the decision, arguing that it is wrong for the party to settle for an individual instead of zoning the position to a particular geopolitical zone “and also consulting or allowing the senators from that zone to decide who among them” should emerge as the Senate President. Alleging that aspirants were not given the opportunity to speak during the dinner with the President, Sen. Ndume wrote to APC leadership declaring his intention to contest for the position of Senate President of the 9th Senate.

On Tuesday, April 16, 2019, President Buhari hosted APC elected members of 9th House of Representatives to dinner. Similar to what happened during the APC Senators-elect dinner, the decision of the party to endorse the candidature of Hon. Gbajabiamila for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives was announced. Both President Buhari and Comrade Oshiomhole were emphatic at the dinner that the mistake of allowing disloyal members of the party to assume the leadership of the 9th National Assembly as was the case in 2015 must not be allowed to repeat itself. Further clarifications from Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, APC National Publicity Secretary, indicated that the choice of Sen. Lawan and Hon. Gbajabiamila was informed by combined considerations of ranking, experiences and loyalty to the party.

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