Despite the horse-trading, secret pacts and cross-party backroom dealings, that preceded the recent election of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) members into the leadership of the Senate and House of Representatives, Huhuonline.com has learnt from Aso Rock sources that President Buhari has directed that no opposition party legislators be allowed to chair any key committee in the 9th legislature except for the constitutionally-reserved Public Accounts Committee.
“All over parliaments across the world, the opposition parties are limited to the chairmanship of the Public Account Committees and Nigeria will not be any exception. Since the APC has control of both chambers, we are not relenting to ensure that APC senators and members in the House are made chairmen of prime standing committees that have direct bearing on the vision of this administration,” noted a source with an understanding of the president’s mind on the issue. The source explained that committees, like those on education, petroleum, Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), as well as committees that deal with health, poverty alleviation, and security must be chaired by APC members in both chambers.
The bombshell decision came as the APC national leadership announced the party’s principal officers for the ninth legislature. APC sources told Huhuonline.com that the party zoned the post of Senate Majority Leader to North-central; Deputy Majority Leader to Southwest, Chief Whip to the Southeast, and Deputy Chief Whip to the Northwest. To which end, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, representing Nasarawa State, was named as Senate Leader, and Senator Ajayi Boroffice, (Ondo North), as Deputy Senate Leader. The party also picked former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, as Chief Whip, while Senator Yahyah Abdullahi from Kebbi State was chosen as Deputy Senate Chief Whip.
In the House, according to the source, the House Majority Leader was zoned to Northwest, particularly Kano State. APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, said on Monday that the party has adopted Rep. Al-Hassan Doguwa who represents Doguwa/Tundun Wada Federal Constituency, as House Majority Leader. Oshiomhole broke the news to Kano Deputy Governor; Malam Nasiru Gawuna who had led a delegation to pay him a courtesy visit in Abuja. The Deputy Leader has been zoned to the Southeast (Abia); Chief Whip to South-south (Edo), and Deputy Chief Whip to Northeast. “For Deputy Leader, it is Hon. Nkiru Onyejiocha, Chief Whip has been zoned to Edo, the Deputy Chief Whip has been zoned to North-east,” the source added.
The President is also seeking a reduction in the number of standing committees of the National Assembly to tally them with the existing Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government for efficiency; as well as reduce the high cost of governance. In the 8th National Assembly, there were 57 standing committees in the Senate and 89 in the House. Buhari was quoted as telling aides that the ballooning of standing committees in the 8th legislature was to dispense patronage and largess to create “jobs for the boys” who defied party hierarchy and supported the emergence of Bukola Saraki, and Yakubu Dogara as Senate President and House Speaker respectively.
Aso Rock sources also told Huhuonline.com that the leadership of the National Assembly has been duly informed to ensure that the standing committees to be constituted are in line with the administration’s policy of reduction in federal ministries. “These committees are draining the treasury and if we keep to the legislative terms of APC being the party with majority in both chambers and appropriating committees to APC members as chairmen, surely it will lead to reducing the cost of running the National Assembly,” the source noted.
But some APC lawmakers expressed resentment over what they said was the politics of exclusion being pushed forward by Oshiomhole with the tacit support of the presidency; saying a unipolar control of government by one party risks undermining the oversight functions of the legislative branch of government and by extrapolation, Nigerian democracy will be the worst for it. Besides, the optics will reinforce public perceptions that the legislature is merely an uncircumcised appendage of the executive branch of government.
