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ORDINARILY, how members of the National Assembly choose or elect their leaders should not have been a cause for concern for many Nigerians if our politicians abide by the rules of the game and rise beyond their ethnic and religious confines to do what is right and good for the entire country. And because most our politicians are seemingly self-serving, ethnically and religiously biased, how the leaders of the forthcoming National Assembly will emerge should be the concern of all Nigerians.
This is no longer a matter that should be left for members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to decide alone. I say this because Nigeria does not belong to the APC alone. It does not belong to the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) alone. In fact, Nigeria does not belong to any political party, ethnic or religious group. Nigeria is owned by over 200 million Nigerians. What affects them should not be left for a few people to decide.
Therefore, in deciding the political fate of all Nigerians, care must be taken to factor in the ethnic and religious composition of the entire country. Ethnicity and religion are too sensitive to be wished away when dealing with a serious issue as sharing of political offices be it at executive or legislative level. I have always been an apostle of power rotation principle in the sharing of political offices because it stands for fairness, justice and equity. I have even advocated that they become part of the constitution so that the sharing formula becomes formalized and coded.
To avoid the mistake or the mistakes of 2015 when the APC felt the PDP partook in the sharing of the leadership of the 8th National Assembly which was entirely the making of the members of the House, it is better that the offices are shared among the six geo-political zones of the country in such a way that no zone shall be marginalized.
To avoid the crisis of confidence between the executive and the legislature throughout the life of the 8th National Assembly, it is good that our politicians should, for once, put aside their personal considerations and put the nation first and share these offices to ensure the unity of this country that has been so much divided since the emergence of the APC in 2015.
Therefore, the task before President Muhammadu Buhari is still more with how to unite this highly divided country. The conduct of the 2019 ‘do or die’ election has also divided the country the more. Every geo-political zone in the country must be given a sense of belonging in the sharing of positions of leadership of the 9th National Assembly.
There is every need to ensure ethnic and religious balancing in selecting or electing the Assembly leadership. There is also the need to ensure geographical balancing between the North and South of Nigeria in such exercise. These offices should not be shared based on the number of votes got from each region. Doing so negates the ideals of democracy which cater for the interest of all in the society.
It is a pity that the APC has not shown enough leadership in managing its electoral success. It manifested this inability in 2015 and allowed many opportunities to forge ahead slip off it. It is quite unfortunate that the ruling party has not learnt from the mistakes of the PDP. Now, the party is about repeating the same mistakes judging by the manner its leadership is talking down on all Nigerians as if they own the country.
Politicians must realize that political power is held on trust for a period of time. It is never absolute or everlasting. It is the people of Nigeria that gave them that trust and authority. Such a trust can be withdrawn through a recall in the case of lawmakers. It can also not be renewed in the case of those seeking for a second term in office (president, governors). It is transient and never permanent. It does not confer on anyone the power of a god or gods.
Politicians are elected into office to serve the people and not vice versa. It is not their duty to dictate to the people. The politicians must listen to the people because power belongs to the people. Section 14 (1) (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) has explicitly elucidated on this theme. The implosion that occurred in APC during the party primaries may still rear its ugly head again if the leadership of the party fails to manage its success very well and stop talking condescendingly on people.
Having said this much, it is important to point out that the legislature is an important arm of government in a democracy. The role of the lawmakers in a democracy is quite enormous. They make laws that make the society safe and governable. They also make laws to protect democratic institutions. But the legislature does not exist alone. It works with the executive and judiciary to make democracy work.
Therefore, everything must be done to ensure that the principal officers of the 9th National Assembly are elected without acrimony.
Our lawmakers should emulate their counterparts in US and Britain that engage in robust debates to iron out burning issues. There are so many national issues that can be resolved through making good laws. The electoral reforms, which will make our elections less cumbersome and tension-soaked, must be championed by the lawmakers.
The much- anticipated restructuring of the country from the present unitarism to a true federation can be championed and made possible through adequate lawmaking. In fact, there is no aspect of the nation’s life that cannot be touched or improved upon through making good laws. Let old and incoming lawmakers see their job as a serious one that demands much time and contemplation.
The National Assembly is never a resting place for retired politicians or public servants as some people want us to believe. It is a place for serious seminal engagements on how to solve some of the nation’s nagging problems through lawmaking. In fact, the lawmakers have the power to make the country better for every citizen.
Since the lawmakers represent all Nigerians, it is their duty to make laws that will ensure the safety and wellbeing of all Nigerians in keeping with Section 14 (2) (b) of the constitution. Similarly, Section 14 (3) of the constitution states that: “The composition of the Government of the Federation or any of its agencies and the conduct of its affairs shall be carried out in such a manner as to reflect the federal character of Nigeria and the need to promote national unity, and also to command national loyalty, thereby ensuring that there shall be no predominance of persons from a few States or from a few ethnic or other sectional groups in that Government or any of its agencies.” It is based on this principle that the leadership of the 9th National assembly shall be selected or elected.
