Caucus of the 10th Assembly House of Representatives members elect of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), have chosen competence, experience, and efficiency over zoning of those who will lead the lower House in the next dispensation.
The PDP also warns other political parties not to be cowed into accepting sectionalism, ethnicity or zoning when electing principal officers that will lead the 10th Assembly.
The members made the call at the weekend after a strategic meeting held at the instance of the Northern Caucus of the PDP Members-Elect composed of the newly elected federal legislators.
However, in a communique signed by seven members, two from North Central, North East and North West under the leadership of Hon. JC Ali of Balanga/ Billiri Federal Constituency of Gombe State, and a copy made available to our correspondent in Jos, the members-elect said with all eyes on the legislature, it will be unfair to compromise efficiency and competence on the altar of zoning just for political reasons.
They all agreed to work together to ensure that competent persons are elected or appointed to occupy the leadership positions of the lower chamber of the apex legislature.
According to them: “it is the quality of the legislature that provides effective oversight for good legislation and effective implementation of government policies.
“We are therefore poised to make an additional difference to what is on ground to ensure smooth progress from where the 9th National assembly will stop and return Nigeria to proper socio- economic footing and development”.
They further stressed “A sound and effective legislative leadership is what is needed in a democracy to sustain or midwife positive change and therefore we cannot be talking about the traditional issues of zoning which has oftentimes retarded growth and development of democratic ideas because of weak and imposed legislative leaderships”.
They urged themselves to keep the vision and work towards recruiting vibrant leadership when the national assembly is inaugurated.
Former deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Senator Usman Bayero Nafada who chaired the event congratulated the members- elect and informed them that the secret to legislative success and performance is unity.
He charged them to familiarize themselves with one another as they prepare towards inauguration and ensure that they think together all the time for the progress of the nation.
The meeting was well attended by almost all the PDP Northern Caucus members who are in high spirits to make a difference in the 10th Assembly and vowed that as an opposition with a huge number, they will work together in unity with other minority members from the Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance and the All Progressives Congress.
According to them this is to ensure that eligibility, competence and merit takes precedence in the choice of the leadership of the 10th Assembly instead of the usual tradition of using zoning to impose leadership which creates legislative instability most of the time.