The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is facing a backlash from some of its lawmakers in the National Assembly over the plan to equally share the chairmanship positions of various committees in the Senate and House of Representatives with the opposition parties.
Newsflash Nigeria reports that the plan was part of a deal struck by the Senate President Godswill Akpabio and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, with the opposition lawmakers to secure their votes during their elections on June 13.
The deal reportedly involves giving 50 per cent of the chairmanship slots to lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and Young Peoples Party (YPP), covering all grades of committees, namely A, B and C.
The sources said that the aim of the deal was to reward the opposition lawmakers for their support, ensure stability in the National Assembly, and reduce tension in the Senate where Akpabio faced a tough contest to emerge as the leader.
However, Leadership reports that some APC lawmakers are unhappy with the arrangement, which they see as unfair and unprocedural. They argue that it undermines the status and interests of the APC as the ruling party and strengthens the opposition parties to challenge and undermine the APC in their constituencies.
An APC Senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told the platform: “We thought it was just a gimmick to lure the opposition lawmakers to vote for them before the election but surprisingly Senator Akpabio and Rt. Hon. Abbas have at different meetings with the opposition caucus after their elections, renewed their commitment to honour the agreement.”
He added: “This arrangement cuts across all categories of committees. It means APC will share grades A, B and C committees with them at equal proportion. It is an unfair arrangement to those of us from the ruling party.
“How can APC lawmakers share these slots at par with their colleagues in the opposition parties? It’s never done and this is unprocedural. They are not even reserving a substantial number of the grade A (juicy committees) committee for those of us from in the ruling party.
“Even if we agree with them that such moves can help to ensure peace and stability in the Senate and House, the sharing shouldn’t have been at equal proportions. What do we enjoy as a ruling party? If the reverse was the case and the APC lost in the February 25 presidential election, are they saying either PDP or LP, which are strong contenders in the race, would have shared the chairmanship slots in the National Assembly with the elected APC members equally?
“The answer is no. Our leaders are just bothered about their interests – how to preserve their exalted seats. They are not bothered about the interest and survival of APC. What happens when you load the opposition parties with juicy and grade A committees? It means we are strengthening the opposition parties to clip the wings of and cripple the APC in various constituencies.
“They are ultimately plotting the weakness of APC. Quite honestly, members of the majority caucus in both chambers are grumbling and disenchanted about this arrangement. The leaders are surely and assuredly setting a stage for crisis in the National Assembly because we are going to resist any attempt to weaken APC as a ruling party.”
The plan to equally share the committee chairmanship positions with the opposition parties was also confirmed by a lawmaker who attended a meeting with the Reps Minority Leader, Kingsley Chinda, on Wednesday.
The lawmaker, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that Chinda gave a detailed account of his recent meeting with Abbas and the benefits that the minority caucus would enjoy in the House.
He said that Chinda told them that Abbas had assured him that all members of the House, except those who would serve in the appropriation committee, would be appointed as either chairman or vice chairman of the various committees in the House.
He also said that Chinda revealed that Abbas had agreed to upgrade all “parliamentary friendly bodies” in the House to committee status, to create more opportunities for members to head or deputy head committees.
The source quoted Chinda as saying: “The minority caucus met at Room 304 in the National Assembly complex shortly after the plenary on Wednesday, during which I briefed you about the recent developments in the House, especially my recent meetings with the Honourable Speaker, Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, as it affects our wellbeing and the fate of the members of the minority caucus in the scheme of things.
“First, I implored you to put our house in order. I said the minority caucus should work in harmony with the government for things that are good and in the public interest. I stated that the leadership of the House had no choice than to carry every member along since there was no contest in the election of June 13th. Consequently, since everyone voted for him, Mr Speaker has offered to carry everyone along.”
He continued: “I further disclosed to you at the meeting that Mr Speaker told me that the chairmanship slots of the various committees would be shared in equal ratio between those of us elected on the platform of the opposition parties and the ruling APC.
“That it will be 50 per cent for the majority of APC and 50 per cent for the minority. That was his promise to us before we supported his election and we are glad that he has renewed that commitment and expressed his readiness to keep that promise.
“I also said that every 360 members, excluding those to be appointed into the appropriation committee, will either emerge as chairman or vice chairman in the emerging dispensation in the House. Clearly, I said anyone who finds himself in the appropriation committee will not serve as chairman or vice chairman in any other committee.
“I said the elimination of members of the appropriation committee, which is a major grade A committee, is meant to create opportunities for more members to emerge as either chairman or vice chairman of the various committees.
“To further brighten the chances of more members to clinch either chairman or vice chairman of a committee, all parliamentary friendly bodies, including inter-parliamentary, are to be upgraded to committee levels, primarily to satisfy everybody.”
However, some APC lawmakers are not impressed by this arrangement and have vowed to resist any attempt to weaken their party’s influence and dominance in the National Assembly. They accused Akpabio and Abbas of being selfish and compromising their party’s interests for their personal gains.
They also argued that such a move would undermine President Muhammadu Buhari’s agenda and give undue advantage to the opposition parties to sabotage and frustrate his policies and programmes.
They called on Akpabio and Abbas to reconsider their decision and respect their party’s supremacy and mandate. They also urged them to consult widely with their party leaders and members before taking any final decision on the committee sharing formula.
