Northern elders warn Tinubu against imposing leadership on Nat’l Assembly

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has warned President Bola Tinubu to avoid the mistakes made by past presidents and not to fall for the temptation of imposing the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

Chairman of the NEF, Prof. Ango Abdullahi, who made the appeal on Saturday during a press conference in Abuja, said the leadership of the incoming NASS should be left for the lawmakers to decide as stipulated in Nigeria’s constitution, instead of dictating who should assume such positions.

Abdullahi said the members-elect should be left alone to decide who their leaders will be because they have clear rules they must work with.

“This is an honest advice to President Bola Tinubu and those in the position of responsibility to avoid a situation perhaps to run into saying something has been imposed. We experienced this in the past; there was a lot of interference,” the NEF Chairman said.

READ ALSO:Avoid policies that compound poverty, Northern elders implore Tinubu

“The National Assembly is an autonomous body that is supposed to decide not just its leadership but its mode of operation, as long as it is within the larger frame of the constitution of this country.

“Our constitution provides for three autonomous branches of government, not that they should not work together, but they work together so that they serve as some kind of oversight check depending on what is happening in other branches of government.

“So the constitution is very clear about the separation of power within the executive arm, the legislative arm, and the judiciary.

“As far as we know and in our various discussions at the level of the society, particularly at our level in the Northern Elders Forum, to emphasise this point, the constitution should be strictly adhered to by all concerned, meaning that the National Assembly is expected after a declaration to decide who will be the President of the Senate and other various appendages who will go with them,” he added.

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