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The Deputy Director-General of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, Dino Melaye, has said an administration led by Atiku Abubakar will not interfere in the election of the Senate President or Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Melaye said the ADC would allow members of the National Assembly to elect their leaders, describing the party as committed to democratic principles and legislative independence.
He made the remarks during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday, while responding to questions about the party’s proposed oversight mechanisms for tracking government payments, fund releases and beneficiaries.
“To start with, an Atiku presidency will not determine who is going to be the Senate president, the president of the Senate, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” he said.
“Atiku is a Democrat. ADC is a very democratic political party. So we are going to allow the people to elect their leaders.”
Melaye argued that allowing lawmakers to choose their presiding officers would promote independence and strengthen the National Assembly’s ability to scrutinise the executive arm of government.
“And I told you that wherever you have the members electing their leaders, there is some modicum of independence,” he said.
He added that an independent legislature would be better positioned to perform its oversight responsibilities and hold the executive accountable.
“So to start with, the ADC will make sure that the National Assembly is truly independent, and if the National Assembly is truly independent, that will drive their oversight functions over the Executive,” he said.
On monitoring government expenditure, Melaye said relevant National Assembly committees would be empowered to question officials and examine how public funds were spent.
He identified the Committees on Establishment, Finance, and Budget and Planning as possible channels for investigating government spending and ensuring accountability.
“The Committee on Establishment is responsible for questioning this type of spenders because they have direct oversight function over the State House. The committee on finance is there. The committee on budget and planning is there,” he said.
“So you can use any of these committees at least to ask questions.”
