A national officer of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Yekini Nabena has alleged plans by the Peoples Democratic Party PDP to retain the leadership of the National Assembly in the next dispensation, cautioning the leadership of the APC not to sit idly by and watch a repeat of its mistake in 2015.
Nabena who is the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC said in order to avoid a repeat of the political crisis that followed the election of the National Assembly leadership in 2015, the Party leadership must urgently put in place an inclusive and fair internal zoning/selection arrangement to enable the APC caucus produce all its preferred principal officers for the incoming Senate and House of Representatives.
Speaking with journalists Saturday in Abuja, Nabena also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to play a pivotal role in the APC’s internal selection arrangement for the incoming 9th National Assembly.
“The Peoples Democratic Party PDP has lost the presidential election and they have now adopted a Plan B from their infamous Dubai Strategy Meeting to hijack the incoming National Assembly leadership by repeating their heinous coup in the previous Assembly.
“The All Progressives Congress APC must prevent a repeat of a situation where despite our overwhelming majority in the outgoing 8th Senate and House of Representatives, the National Assembly leadership was hijacked by saboteurs and their opposition PDP collaborators.
“Nigerians will recall how the outgoing 8th National Assembly under Bukola Saraki sabotaged the present administration in pursuit of selfish political interests of the PDP. But for the principled, focused and dogged governance of President Muhammadu Buhari, many of the unprecedented developmental achievements recorded would have been completely sabotaged.
“The National Assembly is a strategic arm of government to achieve the Change Agenda for the country. I call on the Party’s leadership to urgently set out mechanisms for the zoning/selection of our preferred principal officers who will join the President Buhari administration in implementing our Change Agenda.
“Aside being President, Muhammadu Buhari is a respected father figure among party members and supporters. His direct involvement and views will be very important as the Party works around the zoning/selection arrangements”, Nabena said.