By Cross Udo, Abuja
Ahead of the June 13 inauguration of the leadership of the National Assembly, President Bola Tinubu, yesterday met behind closed doors with the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
This came as Lawan denied having any aspiration to contest for the 10th President of the Senate, saying that the choice of the leadership of the upper legislative chamber will be determined by national interest.
He has also described the alleged appointment of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila as Chief of Staff to the President as media speculation, he, however, said if true, it was a welcome development.
Speaking to State House correspondents at the end of their parley with the President, Lawan said, “What will inform the emergence (of the next leadership) will be the national interest, interest of the National Assembly, the legislature to together and, therefore, everybody matters in this process.”
*National interest will inform the choice of Senate President- Lawan
He said with Mr President having been a senator himself, and the vice president also has been a senator, they would wish that people coming to occupy leadership positions will be propelled by national interest.
He said, “As the chairman of the 9th National Assembly, I find it dutiful and necessary to work with all the major stakeholders especially the leadership of our country, Mr President particularly to give my necessary opinion and advice on how the new leadership of the National Assembly should emerge and what we need to do to ensure stability, productivity of the National Assembly and to ensure peaceful atmosphere between the legislature and the executive arm of government.
“We are getting somewhere and my prayer is we will be able to resolve all the outstanding issues by the grace of God. And Mr President is positively disposed to everything being done smoothly.”
On the allegation that he had indicated an interest in contesting for the presidency of the 10th Senate, Lawan said, “On a more serious note, I have never indicated interest to run for the office of the president of the senate in the 10th National Assembly.
“We have worked together with distinguished senators of the 9th national assembly and members of the House of Representatives to create a very clement environment for us to work.
“We have been productive, much more productive than any National Assembly. We have worked very closely with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and of course that helped the administration also.
“My prayer and wish and hope are that we can have a peaceful transition who are outgoing to a new set of leaders of the National Assembly and who will continue to unite everybody in the National Assembly, in the Senate.
“We want to have a leadership in the Senate that will unite senators to work so well regardless of their political parties, the same thing in the House of Representatives.
“But the truth is I have never indicated interest to run but I have a responsibility to the Senate, the National Assembly has been in the National Assembly for 24 years now, especially when we have 70 percent of members in the National Assembly, especially in the Senate who are new, those of us who have been there longer, owe everybody that responsibility to at least help mentoring those who are new
“I don’t wish to be one. I have played my part and I am happy that we have played our part, we have made a positive impact but of course, we have had our fair share of shortcomings but I can hold my head high on behalf of all my colleagues in the Senate and the National Assembly that this National Assembly have contributed to national development in no mean measure and have succeeded in getting very critical legislation passed and assented to by the former President.”
Asked to confirm the report in social media that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Gbajabiamila has been tipped to be chief of staff to President Tinubu, “I am waiting for the announcement. You are speculating, you know you are in the media, but I’m not.
“First of all, I pray that comes to pass. If that happens, Mr President would have made a very wise decision. At this moment, you need a Chief of Staff with versed experience in the area of legislation, in the area of cooperating with the executive which the speaker spare headed from the house.
“He has a very good network and the support that is required. And when that happens, you know this administration is going to be an administration of the legislators.
“You have a president who was a senator, a vice president who was a senator and of course, our potential chief of staff designate, the speaker of the House of Representatives, is somebody who has been in the National Assembly for 20 years.
“So, this administration should have no difficulty relating with the 10th National Assembly because all of them have passed through the National Assembly system and they know what the sentiments and the sensibilities of members of the National Assembly are.
“And I hope that they will take it to the next level because the National Assembly has been vilified necessarily and unfairly for some things. For me, I take that calmly whenever we are called names because everything has a price.
“If you don’t perform you have a name to be called, if you perform they say you are rubber stamp. But, whichever name, what is crucial is for you to perform your services in the national interest. And I’m sure that the appointment as chief of staff to Mr President will be a very welcome idea to many.
“So, I wish my brother well and wish that he will become the chief of staff and in advance, I pray for almighty God to guide him and protect him in his new job. As a gatekeeper, it is not going to be an easy job.”
