From Fred Itua, Abuja
A pro-democracy group, Coalition for Parliamentary Democracy (CPD), has asked Godswill Akpabio to quit the Senate Presidency if he has no legislative capacity that can earn him the support of his colleagues for the office of the Senate President.
The group, in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its National Coordinator, Dr Menike Johnson, asserted that zoning and external endorsements “are undemocratic and only promotes mediocrity, incompetence and breeds a corrupt and rubber stamp parliamentary leadership that cannot serve the interest of the Nigerians.”
CPD commended senators-elect for their support for Senator Abdul’aziz Yari who it said has “exhibited the required capacity, passion and political will to run a legitimately elected Senate Presidency that will unite the nation, provide a constructive partnership with the Executive in the overall interest of Nigerians.”
It also cautioned the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) against the imposition of a Senate President noting that such will only worsen the division in the party and deny it the ability to maintain a healthy relationship with its lawmakers.
“The Coalition for Parliamentary Democracy has been watching the contest for the Senate Presidency with keen interest. We have also noted the trajectory, demonstrated capacity and acceptability of the two major contestants in the race; Senator Abdul’aziz Yari and Senator Godswill Akpabio.
“CPD in tandem with other pro-democracy organizations insists that those interested in the office of the Senate President should rather marshal their agenda to Nigerians and senators-elect and not rely on retrogressive and sectional arguments of zoning and external endorsements which is undemocratic, promotes mediocrity, incompetence and breeds a corrupt and rubber stamp parliamentary leadership that cannot serve the interest of the people,” the group said.
The CPD chief advised the APC against insisting on imposing a Senate President cautioning that “such could make it lose the position to the opposition parties which have a good number of senators-elect that could be boosted by dissatisfied element in the APC to clinch the Senate leadership.”
According to him, “Such could lead to more division in the APC and create a frosty legislature/executive relationship which is not in the interest of the nation at this critical time of our national history.”
“The Senate does not belong to a particular political Party but to Nigerians. In the same vein, Senate Leadership positions are serious positions that require capacity and willpower and not retail commodities that will be allocated to mediocrity and incompetence on the platter of zoning.
“The CPD, therefore, urges the Senators-elect to assert the independence of the legislature and the Principle of the Separation of Power in serving the interest of Nigerians by upholding competence and not zoning in the election of a new Senate President.”