Oshiomhole’s fireworks generate tension over election of NASS leadership

•  As CUPP supports secret ballot system

By SUNDAY ODIBASHI

The hydra-headed battles being fought by the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adams Oshiomhole, within and outside the party, are seemingly generating skirmishes that APC leaders with goodwill fear may affect the election of the party representatives as presiding officers of the National Assembly which reconvenes next Tuesday on the proclamation of President Muhammadu Buhari.

National Daily investigation revealed that Oshiomhole’s initial outburst and declaration that APC will not share powers in the National Assembly provoked monumental disquiets both within the APC and beyond. The APC chairman resort to the ancien regime of Westminister model of Winner-Takes-All electoral phenomenon which Nigeria has been contending to terminate since 1999 was widely resisted across board. More so, it sent dangerous signal of an aggressive political culture and symptom to malign the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Perhaps, the APC national chairman was acting on the instinct of erroneous political calculation that the ruling APC had absolute majority, according to his utterances, in both the Senate and House of Representatives. However, later outcome from the 2019 general elections significantly altered the power equation of the political parties in the National Assembly, including the margin of majority members of the APC which was reduced.

National Daily further inquiry found that other internal rivalry within the ruling APC involving the national chairman and other party leaders, created latent internal factions working in opposition to the mainstream APC leadership, including the outburst of northern leaders in the party led by the Deputy National Chairman, north, Alhaji Shuaibu, demanding Oshiomhole’s immediate resignation; as well as the counter-forces to the northern uprising.

Apparently, the ruling APC is going into the election of the National Assembly leaders with conflagrations that have degenerated parallel lines of conflicting interests and loyalties.

The APC on Oshiomhole’s template has been advocating the imposition of direct open voting system in the election of the presiding officers of the two chambers of the National Assembly with accompanying threats that the party will wield the big stick on any APC lawmaker that vote contrary to the dictatorship of the party leadership.

Meanwhile, APC leaders were unable to reconcile their internal rivalries and conflagrations to sponsor consensus candidates for the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives. However, the Senate Majority Leader, Ahmad Lawan, and the House Majority Leader, Femi Gbajabiamila, were endorsed by the APC leaders. However, the two candidates are being challenged by other members of the ruling party in the federal legislature.

Lawan is facing a strong competition his predecessor, former Senate majority Leader, Ali Ndume, while Gbajabiamila is being challenged by a relatively unknown candidate from the north central.

Lawan had in the course of his campaign presented moderate leadership values in discountenancing Oshiomhole’s projections. The Senate Leader advocated he would work with the opposition parties and open to cooperation. Ndume has sustained his consultations with all stakeholders but does not appear to be having reliable camaraderie with PDP members in the National Assembly or the trust of the party’s leadership.

National Daily investigation also revealed that the voting system has been contentious since APC leaders fear that secret voting would empower the lawmakers, including its members, to vote according to their conscience, thus, open ballot system; where the lawmakers being conscious that he is watched out there by his/her party leaders, might want to compromise his conscience.

There are indications that the secret ballot system increases risk of winning, while the direct open ballot tends to expose party members to intimidation or threat and reduces the risk of victory for the APC.

However, the opposition PDP has been drawing its own game plan. However, the party has not yet indicated interest in sponsoring any candidate to contest for the presiding officers of the federal legislature.

Meanwhile, the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), on Tuesday declared support for secret ballot system for the election of the presiding officers of the National Assembly on resumption on Tuesday, June 11.

National Daily learned that CUPP Publicity Secretary, Ikenga Imo-Uguchiyere, in Abuja stated on Tuesday that “CUPP, in conjunction with the over 200 opposition lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly, believes that the secret ballot system will enable lawmakers to have the liberty to vote their conscience in electing the leadership of both chambers.”

CUPP, however, protested that Femi Gbajabiamila’s choice for the Speaker of the House of Representatives is contrary to the Buhari administration’s acclaimed war against corruption.

The coalition contended that the House Majority Leader is not competent to be the Speaker of the House of Representatives because of a criminal summons against him by a court in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) for perjury and giving false information under oath.

The CUPP also argued it will be a blot on the anti-corruption war of Buhari if Femi Gbajabiamila is imposed as Speaker of the Nigeria House of Representatives by APC leaders.