By Olugbenga Salami
A group supporting the emergence of former Zamfara State governor, Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari as the next Senate President, Good Governance Initiative, GGi, has accused a group of non-serving senators of the Second to the Fourth Republics, for calling on Senate presidential aspirants to step down from the race for Senator Godswill Akpabio.
The pro-Yari group said “the call by the former lawmakers amounts to double standard as many members of the hitherto unknown group had championed the independence of the legislature in the past when it suited their interests.”
Seventy-two former federal lawmakers on the auspices of Non-Serving Senators of the Second to the Fourth Republics led by Senator Basheer Lado, on Monday, endorsed the choices of Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Jibrin Barau as the next Senate President and Deputy of the 10th National Assembly, respectively.
But, National President of GGi, ‘Kunle Sanusi, while reacting to the endorsement of Akpabio by the non-serving senators and their subsequent call on other aspirants to quit the race on Monday, in a statement in Abuja, also noted that such call was undemocratic and uncalled for in a constitutional democracy.
“These were people who functioned as lawmakers at the highest level of this country previously. They ought to understand fundamental rights of individuals as enshrined in the constitution. They ought to understand constitutional democracy like ours.
“Many of them on the list once championed the independence of the parliament. So, what has changed?
“The best answer to the question is double standard on their part, for their selfish gains. However, His Excellency Abdul’aziz Abubakar Yari will exercise his rights within the confines of the Senate Standing Rule and the 1999 Constitution as amended. He can’t be intimidated by this kind of gang-up since the former Senators have no voting rights on the floor of the Senate on one hand.
“On the other hand, Senator Godswill Akpabio was part of the PDP senators who voted for a Senate President to ensure the independence of the legislature in 2015. Now he has changed, he want to be handpicked and not emerged through a democratic exercise. That tells you the kind of Senate President they want to install on the 10th National Assembly,” Sanusi stated.
