The National Vice Chairman (North West) of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Salihu Lukman, has kicked against the emergence of a Muslim-Muslim Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Bellnewsonline.com reports that the senator representing Kano North, Jubrin Barau; Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu; former Minister of Niger Delta and senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North-West District, Godswill Akpabio and Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, and a few other lawmakers have begun moves to emerge Senate President.
While Idris Wase, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Tajudeen Abbas, Benjamin Kalu, and others are eyeing the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives.
In a statement on Tuesday titled “APC and Tasks of Negotiating 10th NASS Leadership,” Lukman urged the Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) to be more aggressive in driving the process of negotiating leadership of the 10th National Assembly.
The controversial politician warned that the emergence of the same faith leadership might destroy the electoral viability of the ruling party in future elections.
He called on political stakeholders to take a cue from the power-sharing formula adopted in 1999 when former President Olusegun Obasanjo
held sway.
Lukman said: “As a party, it would seem that APC has relapsed to 2015 mode of allowing elected National Assembly members to proceed with the business of constituting leadership of the 10th National Assembly in an unregulated manner.
“This is very risky, not just for APC, but for the country. Given that as a party, we contested the 2023 elections with a Muslim-Muslim ticket of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Sen. Kashim Shettima, unregulated contest for leadership of the 10th National Assembly could produce another Muslim as Senate President.
“In fact, there is also a high probability that a Muslim could also emerge as Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives.
“At a time when irrationality has become overbearingly manifest in the politics of the country, it is quite frustrating for many members of the APC NWC that as leaders mandated to provide leadership in managing affairs of the party, we have become onlookers in matters that we should be directing. This must be urgently corrected.”