Adamu: Tinubu, APC Will Work Out Formula for Sharing N’Assembly Positions

•Cautions against portraying offices in federal legislature as sectional rights

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdulahi Adamu, has said the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, and the leadership of the party would engage in appropriate consultation to work out a plan for the allocation of principal offices in the National Assembly.

Adamu assured that whatever sharing formula the party and the president-elect arrived at would be equitable and satisfy the majority of party members. But he warned against depicting offices in the federal legislature as sectional privileges.

Adamu spoke yesterday at a meeting of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and Tinubu, the vice president-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima, and National Assembly members-elect, held at the Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The APC national chairman stated that the party was not comfortable with the tone adopted by some of those who sought the National Assembly offices. He said the offices were not tribal or sectional rights and must not be so portrayed.

He said it was fair and honourable to admit that the February 25 elections were not perfect, adding that the ruling party did not set out to conduct perfect elections.

According to him, world history has no instances of perfect elections, but, “Like all other democratic nations, we set out to conduct free, fair, and credible elections. This we did.”

Adamu stressed that for the first time in the country’s elections, there were no allegations of vote-buying and outcry over the other ills associated with the conduct of the elections. He noted that rigging might not be dead, but it had been decapitated, saying the country’s democracy is maturing, and the people are maturing with it.

Adamu explained that from the results of the February 25 general election announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the ruling party won the presidency, clean and clear, and a majority in both chambers of the National Assembly. He stressed that APC chose not to rout other political parties because they were partners in national progress and development.

Adamu said he looked forward to the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections on March 18. He said he was sure the results would make the party’s victory even sweeter.

Adamu noted that elections at the national level were over and the party was now in the critical phase of forming a government. He said it was a tough phase because whatever the APC-led government decided from this moment would make or mar the new administration.

The chairman emphasised the need for teamwork between the National Assembly and the executive. He said the president-elect needed assistance in putting together a new national team that would help him make a positive difference in the institution of good governance.

Adamu expressed optimism that Tinubu’s policies would be guided by the party manifesto.

He stated, “Secondly, a democratic government is a government freely instituted by the people. A government of the people by the people is a servant of the people in the service of the people. We must never lose sight of what this entails in our form of government. Despite your wealth and your sartorial elegance, you still must be prepared to dirty your hands in serving the people.

“You must not relish your bigmanism at the expense of the interests and the hopes of the people, who gave us the vote. On the day you received the people’s vote you signed a binding sacred social contract with them.”

Adamu pointed out that the media, especially the social media, were full of speculations about some of the National Assembly members-elect jostling for leadership positions in the National Assembly, which he said was not unusual. He reiterated that people had the right to struggle for positions of leadership for which they believed they were eminently qualified.

“But we, in the National Working Committee of the party, are not comfortable with the tone adopted by those who seek those offices,” he said.

Adamu added, “Those offices are not tribal or sectional rights and must not be so portrayed.

“We would like to offer a word of caution to all of you in this regard. It may be good to start early but sometimes when you start too early you jump the gun and court unintended consequences that may cause nasty divisions in the party and, thus, affect its health. Leadership positions at the national level are a delicate matter and must not be approached with levity or lack of seriousness.

“It may be good to start early but it is wiser to be patient. Some of you may recall what happened to the party and the National Assembly in 2015, when some members of the national legislature chose not to wait for the decision of the president and the party in sharing those offices. It created bad blood within the party and between the executive and the legislature. I urge us not to regress.

“The president-elect and the party leadership will make appropriate consultations in working out a formula for sharing those offices. I assure you that whatever sharing formula the party and the president-elect arrives at will be fair, just, equitable and satisfy the majority of our members.”

Speaking to the president-elect and vice-president elect, Adamu pointed out that the task ahead of them was huge and even frightening. He said this was the time for them and the party to gird their loins and focus on hitting the ground running from May 29, 2023.

He urged party members to return to their respective states and give all the necessary cooperation to the party and APC candidates contesting elections, saying there must be no misunderstanding that may affect the fortunes of the party in the Saturday elections.