The anti-democratic posture of the ruling APC to enforce party supremacy, and the recent call for the removal of Barr Ike Ekweremadu from the office of the Deputy Senate President, have posed a worry to political analysts and scholars who know, as it should be, that party supremacy is not constitutionally a thing for the floor of the Senate and that for there to be separation of powers of government for the independence of the legislative arm, the legislature must be left alone to choose her leaders.
The case of Hon. Aminu Tambuwal emerging as the Speaker of the 7th House of Representatives is a standing case in point where the House made her choice.
To me and most Nigerians, the positioning of Ekweremadu is strategic. The APC, in the election, failed to secure two-third number of senators that should allow it pass critical bills at the floor of senate. This means that the support of the 49 member PDP Senators would always be garnered by the ruling party to pass certain bills.
The ascendancy of Ekweremadu, an experienced legislator, who knows the workings of modem democracy, to the office of Deputy Senate President should, therefore, can be a much welcome idea, not only to patriotic Nigerians but also particularly to the ruling APC which should see Ekweremadu as a bridge-builder between the 59 strange-bed-fellow APC Senators and the 49 PDP Senators. Better put, Ekweremadu is the Cornerstone of the APC and one wonders if the PDP would not withdraw her support and make it quite impossible for the APC to progress since they fail to appreciate the value of what was voluntarily given to them.
I am an interested Nigerian, who would be affected by a mis-government, one who had at a time believed in the capacity of Buhari to lead Nigeria well, assisting as one of his principal witnesses (PW) at the President Election Tribunal (Appeal Court) Abuja in 2007, and one who by current development, would want him to succeed.
I, therefore, see the recent pursuit of APC as a distraction of President Muhammadu Buhari. President Buhari should resist personal or group interest that will deprive him the opportunity to use any experienced Nigeria, like Ekweremadu, in realizing his set goals for the country. President Buhari is strongly advised to heed to his earlier decision not to interfere with the internal dynamics of the National Assembly no matter the extent of push he receives from these self-serving politicians and groups. Constitutional action led to the emergence of Ekweremadu.
The APC would have been well advised to use Ekweremadu to better itself rather than endlessly pursuit of an unachievable end. Interestingly, this same Ekweremadu initiated the viable “Doctrine of Necessity” and he is today at the threshold of history. Let’s all watch carefully what God wants to do with this gentleman. The three months given to Nigerians for change is gradually exhausting and Nigerians are not comfortable with APC’s application for patience.
Allowing the new leadership of the National Assembly is the key to true democracy. I am inclined to the belief that Nigerians and APC will benefit from Ekweremadu’s wealth of experience. Anything short of this, is a misnomer; a striving after the wind.
Basically, the academia and political scholars see the phenomenal development as a vast intellectual discourse , a case study, where Nigeria must benefit. It is therefore worthwhile that no person should interfere with the developments, or disrupt the flow of the wind that stands to assure Nigeria true democracy. Political scientists, academia, civil society organizations and Nigerians are watching the political developments.
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