National Assembly crisis
The National Coordinator of the League of Voters in Nigeria, Dr. Benedict Bem Kokoiwen has blamed the leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for its failure to avert the crisis that engulfed the National Assembly following the emergence of its principal officers.
In a statement issued to the press in Abuja, Dr. Kokoiwen blamed the leadership of the APC for its lack of unity and indecision on the leadership of the National Assembly and zoning of it principal officers and for doing very little from the onset to narrow down the choices of the principal officers to individual Senators and Members in a consistent, transparent and democratic manner.
The National coordinator lamented why the Party did not take advantage of the over two months and one week after March 28th when it won majority seats in the two chambers of the National Assembly to conclude discussions on its leadership but had to fix a crucial meeting to do so for the Senators at the International Conference Center (ICC) on the morning of June 9th when all the Senators were expected to be at the complex of the National Assembly for their inauguration and election of principal officers.
He lamented that this singular act prevented fifty two (52) Senators of the APC who honoured the meeting at the ICC from participating in the business of that day in the Senate chamber. While blaming the leadership of the APC for their ineptitude, Dr. Kokoiwen pointed out that the primary responsibility of the National Assembly is to make laws for peace, order and good governance and cautioned that this responsibility should not be sacrificed in the quest for power by the Senators.
He stated that the current crisis in the National Assembly has caused Nigerians great embarrassments and its continuity will bring to question the commitment of the legislative arm of government to good governance, unity and stability of the country.
Dr. Kokoiwen therefore adviced all warring factions in the two chambers to sheath their swords and work together for the actualisation of the visions and programmes of the present national government led by president Muhammadu Buhari.
