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.”
If Adams Oshiomhole continues like this, Nigeria will keep nose diving, no development, no progress, more poverty in the country. Power should be shared among Political parties. Collective opinion from all political parties on how to move this country forward is what we should be talking about and not bulling others.
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