The National Vice Chairman (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress, Mallam Salihu Lukman, on Tuesday described the action of some lawmakers aspiring for principal offices in the upper and lower echelons of the National Assembly without recourse to the ruling party as ‘disrespectful.’
Lukman spoke against the backdrop of reports that the senator representing Kano North, Jubrin Barau; Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; former Minister of Niger Delta and senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-West District, Godswill Akpabio and Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, and a few other lawmakers are pushing to emerge as Senate President.
While Barau was said to have hosted over 70 senators-elect to solicit their support ahead of the inauguration of the 10th parliament, Kalu also told journalists during a press conference that it was his turn to be the Senate President of the country.
On his part, Kalu on Tuesday met with the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), to declare his intention to be the next President of the Senate. After the meeting at Aso Rock Villa, he told journalists that “I intimated Mr President of my intention to run for the office of the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly.”
The APC vice chair, however, found the approach and manner of lobbying distasteful, saying it was an insult to the ruling party.
In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, Lukman said, “So far, we only have individual aspirations for leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly. Most of the aspirations hardly recognise the challenges of national cohesion. Unfortunately, most of those aspiring for positions of leadership in the 10th National Assembly appear to be disrespectful to structures of the party and their membership, including the NWC.
“Hardly do they show any interest to consult the NWC as an organ or its members individually. Somehow, there is also the demeaning perception that aspiring leaders could always acquire (however defined) the support of party organs. This must be remedied.”
