The representative of Niger East Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Barrister David Umaru, said the election of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, and that of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, is not negotiable.
Umaru stated this on Wednesday in a chat with journalists in Minna.
He attributed the leadership crisis in the National Assembly to undue interference from outside the hallowed chambers as members were not being allowed to elect leaders of their choice.
He said: “The existing laws are very clear: it is the senators or House of Representatives members that should elect who their leaders should be.
“There is a very good reason for this and that is because the lawmakers are the ones to work with their leaders.
“The issue of the election of Dr. Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Yakubu Dogora as Speaker is not negotiable.
“It cannot be negotiated outside the National Assembly.”
While insisting that the election of principal officers of the National Assembly has come to stay, Umaru explained that the issue was not that of disloyalty to the party, adding: “Nobody wants to be disloyal to the party but after the elections, all the senators and the members have become that of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and not that of the party.”
He argued that the party ought to have stayed away from taking sides and allocating positions to individuals at the National Assembly, explaining that this was not within the powers of the party.
Umaru dismissed the allegation that the Saraki group of Like Mind Senators traded away the position of Deputy Senate President to the Peoples Democratic Party.
He explained that Senator Ike Ekweremadu had the majority of senators present at the time the election was conducted.
He said: “It is not true.
“It couldn’t have been.
“We were lucky that the PDP members were reasonable at the time of the election, otherwise the result would have been more devastating.”
While assuring Nigerians that the crisis will soon be over, Umaru described Saraki as having the leadership qualities to lead the National Assembly in supporting President Muhammedu Buhari in effecting the change desired by Nigerians.