NASS leadership: Reverse endorsements of “anointed candidates’, group urges APC

A group under the aegis of Renewed Hope Professionals, (RHP) has urged the All Progressive Congress (APC) to reverse the endorsements of “anointed candidates’ in the National Assembly leadership race.

This is contained in a statement signed by RHP Coordinator, Mr Kinu Kabirwa.

The group said that endorsing a candidate violates the provisions of Section 50 sub section 1b of the Constitution.

Supreme reports that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC on Monday, announced Sen. Godswill Akpabio and Rep. Tajudeen Abass as consensus candidates for Senate President and Speaker positions respectively.

The group called on the President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu to reverse the decision of the NWC to allow for the independence of the legislature.

They said going by the endowment, the North-West would control two powerful positions in the next political dispensation leaving out North-Central and South-East.

”Democracy is now under serious threat with this imposition concocted by the outgoing by the NWC of APC which will further compound the grave political situation in Nigeria.

”As a group of professionals with the interest of APC at heart we plead with the President-Elect to immediately nullify this organised crime imposed on lawmakers and allow a free level playing ground for the legislators to pick their leaders.

“It’s an aberration that must be quickly checkmated before it develops into an hydroid monster capable of turning the legislature into an unwarranted war zone over the personal interests of few persons in the party,” the group said.

They questioned the selection process of the NWC which endorsed Abbas as speaker from a state which produced only four reps-elect.

”Was competence, equity, fairness and fairness considered in the scheme of things or it was just an outright imposition to further truncate our shaky democracy?

”The above questions are begging for answers,” they said.

The group said that offices of the senate president and the speaker should not be used for political compensation.