Ex-member of the House of Representatives from Niger State, Abubakar Chika said the zoning of the National Assembly leadership position is dangerous to democracy.
Chika told journalists in Abuja that the legislature is an independent body, thus lawmakers should be allowed to choose among themselves.
“Neither the President nor the party has the right to dictate who should lead the National Assembly. I don’t see any reason to micro-zone.
“This is undemocratic and very dangerous to democracy…I don’t want to see that arm of government being bastardized in a dictatorship”, the politician stressed.
Chika said the APC has been cantankerous due to different advice coming from many quarters, faulting the sharing of the top seats in the legislature.
“How did you exclude the North Central, so I think it is a biased thing? Somebody just thinks I must make this person whether he is going to cover up for me.”
The former Reps member added that he believes President-elect Bola Tinubu is an honourable man and “should think beyond Lagos State”.
“This is Nigeria and not Lagos House of Assembly and we have a National Assembly consisting of people from everywhere and with different character.”
Chika reminded the APC that it does not have a majority, particularly in the House of Representatives where the minority is greater in number.
Noting that the law did not say only an APC member-elect must be the Speaker, he said the party may lose out if it becomes “very careless”.
Chika advised the leadership of the ruling party to rethink because the country is not under a military regime, but in a democratic administration.
Daily Post