Nasir el-Rufai, governor of Kaduna, says he will not seek a
legislative seat after leaving office.
The governor spoke on Monday at the second edition of the
distinguished parliamentarian lecture series organised by the National
Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), in Abuja.
El-Rufai was elected as governor in 2015 and is currently
serving his second term which will enď in May 2023.
It is not uncommon for governors who have spent two terms in
office to contest to be elected into the senate.
Currently, the former governors in the red chamber include
Seriake Dickson (Bayelsa), Orji Kalu (Abia), Kashim Shettima (Borno), Tanko
Almakura (Nasarawa), Ibrahim Geidam (Yobe), Rochas Okorocha (Imo), Ibikunle
Amosun (Ogun), and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara).
El-Rufai, however, said he does not look forward to becoming
a lawmaker because he does not believe he can function well within such an
environment.
“The national assembly, and indeed the legislature, is very
key and often the decapitated branch of government, because whenever there is a
military coup, every other arm of government is left intact to continue but the
legislature is usually dissolved,” he said.
“So, we have found over time, due to years of military rule,
legislative tradition has not developed as much as the executive and judicial
tradition, and this is why this kind of lecture is very important to continue
to build the institutional strength and capacity of the legislature.
“There is also a lot of confusion about the role of the
legislature because many of the constituents think that when you are in the
legislature, you should get them contracts.
“They think that everyone in government awards contracts.
They do not understand that the role of the legislature is to make laws and
serve as a check to the executive and judicial excesses. I, therefore, commend
the ninth assembly and NILDS for this initiative.
“For me, being here is an opportunity to learn because the
legislature is one branch of government I know I can never function in. The
hard work needed to convince people to support even your motion is something
some of us have no patience for.
“The executive is very straightforward and very hierarchical
and once you are the governor, your work is almost done. In the legislature,
everyone is equal. There is nothing in leadership more difficult than managing
your equals. So, I don’t envy the speaker and senate president, because their
job is perhaps the hardest job in this country.
“Managing equals is very difficult; managing subordinates is
easy. You can hire and fire. I know I am quite incapable of it, so any
opportunity I have to interact with the legislature I take it.
“I know many of my colleague-governors are retired to the
senate. I can assure you I can never retire to the legislature because I do not
think I can function there.
“So, I really have great respect for those in the legislature
and have managed to make it function. It is a great pleasure to be here.”
The governor added that the three arms of government should
always work for the public good.
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