With the upset created by the leadership election yielding to reality, the 9thNational Assembly is gradually settling to work, write Deji Elumoye and Shola Oyeyipo
His words: “INEC is one institution that has always been supported by the National Assembly. They also require more support and resources. The resources available are not enough for the enormous tasks. Our desire is that our electoral empire continues to be independent and improves to perform the statutory functions creditably well.”
“We need to see an improvement in our electoral system. We solicit your support to further boost knowledge of our members and committees relevant to this course. During the period under review, the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, also named his Chief of Staff and two media aides.
“It is statutory, ad hoc statutory media committee has been set up. They are going to start their work now until when the standing committee on media takes shape. The chairman of the committee is a face that you know very well, Hon. Khadija Ibrahim,” Jibrin had said. “There’s not going to be any prejudices; there is not going to be leaning towards one party. We are going to work towards the unity and progress of our country as one together. We must do it. In brotherhood we all stand,” she stated.
Bago also vowed to work with the leadership and give all the support they would need from him to evolve and pursue populist and people-oriented policies and programmes for the good of the House and Nigerians at large. Karlsen, on his part, decried the reduction in the number of women elected into the 9th National Assembly in the last general election.
Hear him: “The country is in dire need of good leadership in addressing insecurity, poverty, infrastructure and many other things that are required. We are in our trying moment but together I believe we can overcome it. By the grace of God, I will be a good ambassador of Plateau State,” Wase assured his guests.
Asked what redress his group intended to seek from the court, he said: “Our prayer would be that every activity that happened on the floor should be null and void, because there is a good question that our laws give us immunity for legislative actions on the floor, but we were not legislators at the time we conducted the election. We had not taken our oath, so whatever transpired is opened to litigation.
“On the morning of the inauguration, I was on national televisions raising the alarm about this impending desecration of the hallowed chambers of the House. Then, one of the APC representatives said they were mere allegations that those cards don’t exist. The viewers were asking where do we have the fact but now it is no longer conjecture. The DG of Gbajabiamila campaign appeared on a television programme a few days ago, displaying the card and trying to justify it.
Ihonvbere said: “For us, we have conducted a democratic election. It was carried live and the election is over. A winner was declared, the loser congratulated him right there on the floor of the House and he has taken over. He is now in charge. However, as the Ninth National Assembly begins its legislative agenda, it is imperative to look at the contributions of former Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, in the area of constitutional amendments in the past assemblies with a view to influencing the current Assembly in this regard.
Thank God you are not taking that away with you. You are going to be here for us to continue to tap from his experience”. To prevent a repeat of the constitutional challenge posed by the Yar’Adua protracted absence, Sections 145 and 190 of the Constitution were amended to make it mandatory for the President and Governor to transmit a letter to the National Assembly or State Assembly, respectively, to enable their deputies to act in their absence or whenever they are unable to discharge their functions.
Section 160 was amended to provide that “in the case of the Independent National Electoral Commission, its powers to make its own rules or otherwise regulate its own procedure shall not be subject to the approval of the President”, thereby granting INEC administrative independence.