After reading bits and pieces of the meeting, the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and the APC leadership, had with their lawmakers-elect yesterday, in Abuja, any closer observer can only snicker with a goofy face. If you actually expected Tinubu to say he had preferred choices for principal offices of the 10th National Assembly, then, “dey play.”
He definitely has an interest and is going to route his decisions through the party. In fact, he is going to be the “most political president” in Nigeria’s history. Already, the National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, has hinted of what to expect, when he said yesterday that the sharing of the offices in the 10th Assembly was not a right of any section of the country. That should be audible enough.
But, quite frankly and without pandering to political correctness, it would take more than Tinubu’s large heart to have the senate presidency in the 10th Assembly go to the South East. Although there’s an increasing pressure to balance the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket by getting a Christian into the office, it is just one of the many sentiments struggling for consideration.
Politics, away from socialism and welfarism, is an investment. What you sow is what you reap. Here is a zone everyone could tell did not give anyone else from other ethnic extractions a chance to compete effectively, and they didn’t pretend about it.
On what grounds, therefore, would the third highest office in the land be conceded to them? To compensate for what, exactly? Those who voted massively for other candidates and gave them the requisite percentages to emerge victorious didn’t do so for God’s sake.
They’re definitely expecting something in return because they played politics of investments. There’s no need mealy-mouthing or pretending about this. It is a “how you lay your bed” situation and completely devoid of sentiments
To that extent, in strong contention for that office is the North West, which has already lost the vice-presidency to the North East, and yet, gave the President-elect a huge chunk of votes and as well the first runner up. Will they give away the Senate Presidency, too, and on what grounds?
Most definitely, this is one matter that will stretch the political magnanimity of the APC leadership and the president-elect when the time is nigh. It would be a hard sell for Tinubu and the party to zone that seat down East.
The situation is difficult to defend except for political correctness, which unfortunately flies, in this instance, in the face of everything else. Nonetheless, the debate is just beginning, and it’s okay to start pondering early what to expect at the end of the day. But reaping what you sow may not be bad politics, after all.
It is okay to sound naive by saying the election of the principal officers is solely the business of the legislature, everyone knows the party determines who gets what at the end of the day, with the president’s interest at the centre of it all. Tinubu wouldn’t gamble in such serious matters.
Perhaps, ending this by quoting the enfant terrible of Rivers State, should suffice: “If it didn’t dey, it didn’t dey.”
Good morning!
