8Th National Assembly: ‘Ekweremadu’s 

emergence a product of high wire politics’

Ibadan – Reactions trailed the emergence of Sen. Bukola Saraki as the 8th Senate President and the election of other principal officers of the National Assembly.

In Ibadan, Oyo State, Sen. Lekan Balogun, a Chieftain of PDP, described the emergence of Saraki as the new Senate president as a good development for democracy.

He said “the leadership of the Senate is very important for the country’s politics.’’

Apart from Saraki, Sen. Ike Ekweremadu also emerged as Deputy Senate President respectively.

Balogun, who congratulated those that emerged, said “that means there will be no more yes men at the helm of affairs.’’

Mr Moshood Erubami, the President of Voters Assembly, said that the development was good for democratic development.

He said “it is good news for political development in the country. It will allow democracy to take its full course.

“In the past, it was winner takes all, but now, both the opposition and the governing party have shared powers.’’

He said that while Saraki’s leadership would be good for Senate, the emergence of Ekweremadu was a product of high wire politics.

Mr Kehinde Olaosebikan, a PDP Chieftain, said that the emergence of the Senate leaders followed democratic process.

“It is good for our democracy, we are gradually understanding the tenets of democracy, which means there must be free hand for people to choose their leaders.’’

He said that the election of both ruling and opposition parties into the Senate leadership would provide the checks and balances needed for democratic progress.

Dr Gbade Ojo, former Special Assistant to Gov. Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State described the development in the Senate as a surprise.

Also Mr Peter Ozo-Eson, General Secretary, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) on Tuesday urged the newly inaugurated National Assembly to prioritise legislation on policies that would promote inclusive growth, create jjobs and reduce mass poverty.

Ozo-Eson, the General Secretary of the Congress gave this advice in a phone interview in Lagos.

He said that the newly elected Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr Yakubu Dogara, should focus on improved welfare for Nigerians workers and masses.

“Honestly, for us, the agenda for workers’ welfare should be a priority. We have several states, several agencies that are owing arrears of workers’ salaries.

“As they settle down to business, this needs to be visited very quickly and whatever the reason, it should be resolved so that workers get their full entitlements up to date.

“They need to manage the economy in a way that would promote workers’ welfare, create jobs and move the economy in a direction that will be development oriented so that workers can benefit from that process.

“They need to put policies in place that will ensure we move in a different direction, we will have developmental growth that will create jobs and growth that will be inclusive,” he said.

According to him, the National Assembly should work hard to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor.

The scribe, however, said that the pattern of elections into the leadership positions of the two chambers that brought Saraki and Dogara suggested that the new government was starting the process with crises.

“The circumstances that led to the election of Saraki as the Senate President appears that we are starting the whole process with a crisis.

“Only some of the senators converged and elected him.

“Of course, it is the Senate that has the authority to choose it own leadership, but that should be done in a democratic, transparent open way without bringing the Senate into different groupings from the beginning.

“It does not seem to have met the test of everybody participating in the process,” he said.

Saraki went against the position of his party, the All Progressives Congress, to emerge the Senate President.

The party had preferred the choice of Sen. Ahmed Lawan for the position.

At the House of Representatives, the APC’s preferred candidate, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila.

Source - Vanguard