PDP will not take over national assembly leadership positions — Tinubu

The president-elect, Bola Tinubu has ruled out the possibility of the opposition party (PDP) hijacking the 10th National Assembly at it did in 2015, when Bukola Saraki and Aminu Tambuwal as Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives seized the assembly powers from the ruling party.

Tinubu, who said this at the weekend in Akure during a lecture organised in honour of Afenifere leader, Chief Reuben Fasoranti to mark his 97th birthday, however, said the All Progressives Congress (APC) still has enough time to bring the warring factions together before the inauguration of the National Assembly.

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The president-elect, who was represented by the National Vice Chairman (Southwest) of the APC, Isaacs Kekemeke, said; “opposition will not take over the national assembly, both the President-elect and party are working tirelessly to ensure that whatever you perceive as acrimony will be sorted out and this is democracy.

“But I can assure you that the national working committee of our great party is having an interface with those aspirants of the House of Representatives and the Senate and in the shortwhile everything will be sorted out.

“I don’t think there is cause for alarm, this is normal and this is what our party is known for, we believe in democratic engagement and we all know that the president-elect is an engager.”

The APC had zoned Senate Presidency to former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Chief Godswill Apakbio from South South geo-political zone, his Deputy Barau Jubrin from Northwest, Speaker of House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen from Northwest, and his deputy, Ben Kalu from Southeast geo-political zone.

However, the aggrieved aspirants and members of the party including Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu in a statement personally said the APC promoted injustice and worked against the unity of the country by excluding the North Central geo-political and Southeast zone from its zoning arrangement.

Akeredolu said the zoning of the leadership position by the APC in the yet to be constituted 10th National Assembly defied logic would enhance injustice in the polity of the country.

But according to him, the party would bring the aggrieved members of the party before the National Assembly convenes next month.

On the position of Governor Akeredolu against the decision of the party, Kekemeke said “you know our Governor has a knack for fearless, justice but I know that the governor will be further briefed, they will all be on the same line with the party and the president-elect and I am sure some of the reasons for the decision taken will be explained to him.”