Stay off NASS leadership matter, CSO tells Tinubu

A civil society organisation (CSO), Centre for Credible Leadership and Citizens Awareness, has urged the president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to stop meddling in the leadership matter of the 10th National Assembly.

The director-general of the coalition, Dr Nwambu Gabriel, at a press conference in Abuja yesterday, said the National Assembly as an independent arm of government should be allowed to decide who presides over their affairs as encapsulated in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Nwambu condemned the move by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and other vested interests to impose leaders on members of the 10th National Assembly.

He said the idea of having an independent arm of government called the legislature “is for the purpose of providing ‘checks and balances’ in such a manner to avoid the concentration of powers in one body as this would lead to usurpation of powers and consequently degenerate to dictatorship, tyranny and oppression.”

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“As a CSO, we are not interested in who emerges as the Speaker or deputy, or the Senate president and deputy. Our interest is that there is a provision in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and it is a document that is superior to any other, including the House or Senate rules.

“We are saying that since it is a constitutional provision, the political party to which the president-elect belongs should allow the constitution to be executed to the latter.

“We are saying that interference in the process of electing the Speaker, deputy Speaker, the Senate president or the deputy Senate president would amount to usurping the powers that was ab initio meant for the National Assembly.

“An imposition of power will degenerate Nigeria to dictatorial tendencies; it is going to lead to tyranny and oppression and bring to mockery, the principles of separation of power.

“It is pertinent that all politicians and political parties and the president-elect, allow the constitution to be executed so that Nigeria will not be a mockery in the comity of nations,” he said.