Saraki Tells APC His Hands Were Tied Over Selection Of NASS Principal Officers

In a letter written to the All Progressives Congress, the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, has said his hands were tied in regards to the selection of principal officers of the upper chamber.

In his letter dated June 25, he said…


“The said letter (Oyegun’s letter) was received after various APC zonal caucuses had taken their decisions to candidates as principal officers of the senate in line with parliamentary convention and the extant provisions of the senate standing orders 2015 as amended.”

“Furthermore, whilst one is strongly persuaded to toe party line and act in accordance with the suggested party position, regrettably clear provisions of our extant rules and standard parliamentary convention have not given me that leeway to act otherwise. “Therefore, my hands are tied in the circumstances and I seek your understanding in this regard.”

However, he added that without equivocation he remained “loyal to our great party and its leadership and also fully committed to the change agenda of the Mr. President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

It will be recalled that the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had on June 23, written to Saraki, stating the party’s choice of principal officers of the senate as the APC had nominated Ahmad Lawan as senate majority leader, George Akume as deputy majority leader, Olusola Adeyeye as chief whip, and Abu Ibrahim as deputy chief whip.

However, Saraki, on Thursday, announced Ali Ndume as majority leader, Bala Na’Allah as deputy majority leader and Francis Alimikhena as deputy chief whip after the various APC senate caucuses nominated them.

Meanwhile, the APC in Ondo State has said that the party is not to blame for the leadership crisis in the National Assembly.

The party said Saraki, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, should be blamed for the division in the party.

“As principal officers representing APC in the National Assembly, they are expected to carry out the party’s directives in terms of who occupies the positions. “Therefore, Nigerians should hold Saraki and Dogara responsible for the crisis rocking the National Assembly.

They are working against the party that sponsored them by initiating an unholy alliance with the PDP to truncate the ‘change’ that the people expect,” it said in a statement.