‘We can’t entrust critical committees with PDP’ — Oshiomhole tells elected APC lawmakers

Adams Oshiomhole, the national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the party is determined not to entrust the leadership of critical committees in the house of representatives with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the next parliament.

Oshiomhole, who spoke at a dinner hosted by President Muhammadu Buhari for elected APC lawmakers at the banquet hall of the presidential villa in Abuja on Tuesday, said the party is avoiding what he described as “mistakes” made in the 8th assembly.

Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara emerged leaders of the country’s bicameral legislature in 2015 against the wish of the APC.

The duo, who were elected on the platform of the APC in the 8th assembly, defected to the PDP in 2018. During their tenure, they were said to have appointed the leadership of some critical committees to the PDP.

But on Tuesday, the APC chairman urged the elected APC lawmakers not to share what belongs to the party with anyone, especially the opposition.

“We cannot as a party which has a comfortable majority, entrust critical committees in the hands of the PDP or opposition,” he said.

“If Nigerians wanted them, they could have voted them. In the days of PDP, every committee were chaired by PDP members.”

He said that the ruling party has about 223 members-elect out of the 360 house members and that 67 were re-elected for the 9th assembly.

Oshiomhole further added that there was no room for coalition with the opposition as the ruling party has two-third to execute any legislative business including amendment of the constitution.

“In life, mistakes are permitted. But it becomes a problem if the mistake is repeated twice. We are determined not to repeat the mistakes of 2015 in 2019, we have learnt our lesson,” he warned.

”Out of 223 APC elected members, 67 were re-elected, the rest are new members.

”In other climes, you don’t go into coalition when you are in the majority, you do so when you don’t have the numbers. We have the numbers, out of 360, Nigerians elected 223 APC members because they don’t want Mr President to face the trauma of 2015.”