by Musa Abdullahi
The Premises of the National Assembly has been ordered closed by the Nigerian Police Force on orders of the Presidency, a source tells NewsWireNGR.
“Who controls the Nigerian Police? Only the Presidency can order the closure of the assembly using them and that’s exactly what has happened today, we have the complex is opened before 10:am” a member-elect tells NewsWireNGR.
The 8th assembly is expected to resume today and elect leaders of the both assembly, the senate and the House of Representatives likely from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
It is however not certain why the complex was ordered closed by the Muhammadu Buhari led government but there’s been confusion in the APC as to the choice of likely candidates to emerge in the both houses.
The APC had selected its representatives in a primary elections described as a sham by some of the contestants at the International Conference Center Abuja on Saturday, creating tension in the Yakubu Dogara and Bukola Saraki camps.
Femi Gbajiabiamila and Ahemd Lawan are the candidates for the House and the Senate respectively.
Faced with a looming crisis in the selection of its favoured candidates for leadership posts at the Senate and House of Representatives, officials of the APC were last night weighing measures to force the incoming class of National Assembly members to postpone their convening beyond Wednesday, June 10, 2015.
A senior party source said the postponement “is to enable President Muhammadu Buhari (to) rein in rebellious lawmakers within the ranks of our party.”
Agency reports say President Buhari had expressed serious concerns to some associates that a Nigerian Senate led by Saraki would not lend him the necessary legislative backing to wage a major war against corruption.
It was alleged that Saraki carries a lot of corruption baggage, dating back to his days as an executive of the defunct Societe Generale Bank of Nigeria, and continuing with his tenure as Kwara State governor.
The reports also said another group of lawmakers in the House of Representatives were also upset with the APC’s choice of Lagos legislator, Femi Gbajabiamila, as the party’s sole candidate for Speaker.
Yakubu Dogara, an aspirant for the speakership who hails from Bauchi State, leads the disaffected legislators opposed to Gbajabiamila.
An APC source said some party leaders consider Saraki as the wrecking ball who must be subdued to ensure that the party does not lose the leadership of the Senate.
It was learnt that former Senate President David Mark has been mobilising disgruntled APC senators to back him for a third term in the premier post at the Senate.
Another source disclosed that several PDP senators were demanding outrageous sums of money from APC leaders in exchange for casting their votes for candidates favoured by the party.
