10th NASS Leadership: Unite, work in line with party position — Tinubu tells APC Govs

As the discourse over the composition of the 10th National Assembly leader ship gets intense within the camp of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), President-elect, Asiwaju Tinubu has charged governors of his party,  the APC, to work closely with the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) and lawmakers on the election of principal officers of the National Assembly (NASS).

Tinubu gave the charge Thursday in Abuja when he met with the Governors who paid him a courtesy visit.

“We thank God Almighty for our electoral victory. It was tough and turbulent.

“The challenge before us is working in unison with the party leadership and the National Assembly over the election of their principal officers. And I charge you to unite in spirit and faith and work in line with the party,” a statement from the Office of the President-elect signed by his media aide, Tunde Rahman quoted Tinubu.

According to the statement, Tinubu told the Governors and former governorship candidates of the party that “whether you return or not, this is our government.”

“Once we know what we are doing and communicating as elected leaders and loyal party men, we will conquer the challenge,” he added.

He also reiterated his earlier admonition that, as leaders, they were elected to serve the people with fairness and justice, expressing gratitude to God that he, “the first Muslim minority from the South-West got the blessing of Allah to be elected president.”

Dismissing speculations about his health, the President-elect said “all speculations have perished and their purveyors brought to shame.”

Chairman of the Progressive Governors Forum PGF and Governor of Kebbi State, Alhaji Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, led his colleagues to Tinubu’s residence.

Among those in attendance were Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima and Governors Simon Lalong (Plateau), Nasir el-Rufai (Kaduna), Aminu Bello Masari (Katsina), Hope Uzodinnma (Imo), Abubakar Badaru (Jigawa), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Ben Ayade (Cross River), Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq (Kwara), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun) and Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti).

There were also the Deputy Governor of Ebonyi State, Kelechi Igwe and the APC governorship candidate in Kano State, Alhaji Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.

Governor Bagudu said the visit was to congratulate Tinubu on the election, extend goodwill to him over the end of the Ramadan Fast and welcome him back from his recent travels and celebrate with him.

He also said, however, that the Governors were ready for any assignment the President-elect may give them.

On the task with respect to the election of presiding officers of the National Assembly, he pledged that the Governor would continue to discuss and work with the party and the lawmakers to arrive at the best decision in the interest of the country.

The contest over the formation of the leadership of the 10th National Assembly has been keen in contest, particularly as the ruling party seems to be in a tough mist to determine what principle to adopt for the choice of candidates.

The subject of zoning principle seems to have become controversial, particularly involving the South-East, North-West, and the  South-South, with lawmakers from these zones eyeing key positions, particularly of the seat of the Senate President and that of the Speaker of the House of Representatives have continued to raise arguments to justify their interests.

As reported earlier, series of talks involving key stakeholders and office bidders as well as meetings have continued to take course since president-elect returned Monday evening from Paris, France, where he was said to have travelled to for rest after hectic campaign activities of the 2023 general elections.