President Tinubu Meets Lawmakers-Elect At Aso Rock

President Bola Tinubu on Thursday met with lawmakers-elect under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)m and other four parties that would constitute the 10th National Assembly. 

Those in attendance at the Conference Hall of the State House in Abuja include Vice President Kashim Shettima; outgoing Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; as well as outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, amongst others.

The President tasked lawmakers to put the nation first and downplay party politics in the discharge of their duties as he extended a hand of fellowship to the lawmakers.

He also called on the lawmakers to work together to choose “good leaders” in the 10th National Assembly.

Gbajabiamila, who is set to resume as the President’s Chief of Staff, who conveyed the message of the President, said the next four years will make or mar the development of the country.

He said the 10th National Assembly must work in partnership with the President for a successful administration.

In the just-concluded elections, the ruling APC secured over 170 of the 360 seats in the green chamber, the highest by any party. The PDP came second with over 100 seats, the LP with over 35 seats, the NNPP with about 20.

Many APC lawmakers have since indicated interest to emerge the next Speaker of the House. They include Benjamin Kalu, Ahmed Wase, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, Yusuf Gagdi, Aliyu Betara, Tajudeen Abbas, Abdulraheem Olawuyi, Sani Jaji, Princess Onuoha, amongst others.

Also, Senators Abdulaziz Yari, Orji Kalu, Godswill Akpabio have also showed interest in becoming the next Senate President after Ahmad Lawan.

However, the APC officially zoned the Senate President to the South-South (Akpabio) Deputy Senate President to the North-West, Barau Jibrin. The party also zoned the Speaker position to the North-West (Abass), and Deputy Speaker to the South-East (Kalu).

Many APC hopefuls rejected the party’s position and called for a review of the formula to cover the North Central geopolitical zone and not two positions for the North-West but the party chieftains continue to argue that the North-West gave the President the highest vote and therefore deserves to be compensated.

Meanwhile, Abass and Kalu met with Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on June 1 as the race for the next NASS leadership gets hotter