Tinubu is reportedly set to meet PDP and LP among other opposition Lawmakers Monday.
NewsOnline reports that there are indications that President Bola Tinubu wants to personally cultivate opposition federal lawmakers for a harmonious relationship between the executive and legislative the arms during his tenure.
He has invited them for meetings scheduled for tomorrow at the Presidential Villa, Abuja ahead of next week’s inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.
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According to the invitation letter, Tinubu will first meet with Senators-elect at 3pm on Monday and with the Reps elect from 5pm on the same day.
An invitation letter signed by the Permanent Secretary State House Tijanni Umar, on behalf of the President’s Chief of Staff has already gone to each of the incoming federal lawmakers elected on the platforms of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
Although the agenda for discussion could not be immediately confirmed, it is strongly believed that it may not be unconnected with ensuring a seamless working relationship with the two arms of government and fine-tuning the process of electing leadership of both Chambers of the National Assembly.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has already endorsed Chief Godswill Akpabio (South-South) and Alhaji Barau Jibrin (Northwest) for the positions of Senate President and Deputy Senate President, respectively as well as Tajudeen Abbas (Northwest) and Ben Kalu (Southeast) for the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.
However, some APC NASS members elect have been threatening to defy the party on the endorsement by contesting against its official candidates.
Izunaso dismisses APC’s zoning, says he’s next Senate President
One of the APC aspirants to the position of Senate president, Osita Izunaso, yesterday dismissed the party’s zoning formula for leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly.
Izunaso during a visit to the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Chief Chris Isiguzo, in Abuja, said he was sure of emerging the next Senate President.
“I am the next Senate President,” he said.
Continuing, he said: “That does not mean we are not talking to Senator-elect Abdul’Aziz Yari. We are consulting as much as he is. We are also talking to other people who are contesting for the Senate Presidency.
“I can assure you that at the end of the day, I Osita Izunaso will be the next Senate President.
“Nobody has been chosen, don’t make that mistake. When the party chooses someone, we’d know.
“The party is just calling for a better and wider consultation. And we are just getting an invitation that we are to meet the party tomorrow or next.
“There is no zoning template; the party merely advised. People have been visiting the National Chairman and what has been his disposition to it.
“In fact, someone was addressed as Speaker and he told them nobody has been made speaker yet. There is no zoning yet.”
Earlier in his speech at the NUJ National Secretariat during the visit, Izunaso said he is in the race for Senate President to rebrand the National Assembly.
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He said: “We are going to put the record straight and educate Nigerians on what constitutes constituency project and constituency allowance. All the negative notions about jumbo pay are also not correct.
“We will not fight the executive because we were not elected to do so. We were elected to collaborate. Where the power of the executive stops is where that of legislature starts.”
He said the visit was meant to consult the leadership of the NUJ on his aspiration.
In his remarks, Isiguzo described Izunaso as the best among all the senators vying for the position of Senate President.
He declared that after a careful analysis of all the contenders, Izunaso was found the best in competence, experience, capacity and integrity.
PDP to its NASS members elect: We must work as one family
Ahead of the June 13 inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, the acting National Chairman of PDP, Ambassador Umar Damagum, yesterday asked newly elected lawmakers from the party to work in unison as ‘one family’.
Speaking at a retreat in Bauchi for PDP members elected in the last polls, Damagum said “we have to know we are an opposition.”
He added: “In order to remain relevant, we must work together as one family. That’s the only way you’ll be able to ensure that your relevance is being determined.”
He said the party was going through a “very crucial” period in its history, pointing out that how its members navigated the current situation would play a crucial part in its future.
He said that despite the outcome of the last election, the PDP did well.
“We’ve done well in this election. We know it and we have a responsibility to mobilise like-minds to be a party that will be responsive to the aspirations of Nigerians,” he said.
In attendance at the retreat were the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and re-elected governors Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Seyi Makinde (Oyo) and Ahmadu Fintiri (Adamawa).
