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DESPITE being accused of allowing the crises rocking both chambers of the National Assembly to fester, some leading voices in the All Progressives Congress, APC, are believed to posses the magic wand needed to prevent the now rambunctious legislature from derailing
After months in which party leaders have prevaricated in the name of loyalty and indiscipline, it is expected that those, who wield influence decisively engage in trouble shooting for public good.
It is so given the obvious inability of the legislators to find a common ground thereby taking the crisis to epic proportion at the expense of the business of law making.
Those whose influence can help to urgently resolve the festering National Assembly crises include President Muhammadu Buhari; former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar; National Leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu; Sokoto State Governor, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal; APC National Chairman, Chief Odigie Oyegun; Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Senator Ahmad Lawan and Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila among others.
Ironically, most of these leading voices being looked upon had been variously accused of remotely dragging the party to this critical point.
In the thinking of many, the APC found itself at the crossroads because of the failure of these leaders to take advantage of the time lag between March 28, 2015 when it won the presidential election and June 9 when the National Assembly had its leadership elections, to chart a course for the lawmakers.
It is this belief in their influential capacity which cut across ethnic, religious and party boundaries that informed the latest thinking among observers that except they get involved, the APC crisis would in no distant time become an existential problem.
Time for concessions
President Muhammadu Buhari; Saraki, Senate President
and Dogara, Speaker
Speaking in that regard, President of the Coalition For Good Governance and Accountability, Comrade Michael Agbazilo, told Vanguard : ‘’APC leaders need to act now, else, the party would be doomed. The Senate will resume plenary next week and the crisis is escalating by the day. The leaders in question here are the actual people who can stop this madness.
‘’I am not in doubt that if they apply the principle of collective guilt, the madness will be resolved for the sake of Buhari, who is the only Nigerian President who has exhibited the willingness to serve. My submission does not mean that other ongoing peace moves like that of the governors’ committee will not yield result. However, we should not lose sight of the fact that the governors often have parochial interest. Battles are hardly won at the war front, so this is the time for dialogue and concession. Every camp should make sacrifices for the issues at stake to be addressed.”
Buhari
Being a man of principled disposition, no one expected Buhari to have his imprints on the matter particularly having said earlier that he was going to work with whoever emerges as leaders of the NASS.
However, in the argument of some, the President’s neutrality in no small ways, may have added up to the scale of the impasse.
In putting forward this position, analysts relied on past instances when former President Olusegun Obsanjo, even at the risk of desecrating the doctrine of separation powers, had influence in who became what in the NASS.
It is in that light that some want the President to cautiously wade in to make a difference in the crises that could have devastating effect on the direction of his administration.
As the leader of the party, reining in would also put to rest the feelings that he is being indifferent to an issue that may constitute a mortal dent on the APC.
Atiku
Atiku was alleged to have backed Saraki and Dogara against the wish of party chieftains on allegations that his presidential aspiration received less support from certain party leaders.
Though the former Vice President had distanced himself from the emergence of the duo, some still hold contrary opinion.
Not even when he was among the few core party chieftains, who congratulated the duo when they emerged in the controversial contests.
As his party was contesting the legitimacy of the elections, Atiku congratulated Saraki, admonishing him to see their elections beyond narrow interests.
Discountenancing allegations against him, Atiku maintained that it is legitimate for individuals to pursue their interest. He is seen by observers as a high impact member of the APC whose decisive involvement could ensure normalcy.
Analysts see him as wielding the political appeal required to pioneer private and public dialogue towards saving APC.
Tinubu
National leader of APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Former
Vice President , Atiku Abubakar
No matter what some think of him, Tinubu has become legendary in Nigerian politics, particularly following his immense contribution to the sustenance of multi-party democracy since 1999.
Ever since the crises started, Tinubu, who had favoured the party’s choice of Senator Ahmad Lawan and Gbajabiamila as Senate President and House Speaker respectively, had never hidden his support for party supremacy on the matter.
Given the fact that he boasts of inestimable leverage on party matters, the former Lagos State governor is key to the search for peace.
In looking up to him at this time, observers maintain that the APC national leader should not stand and watch helplessly while the party they built is being threatened by avoidable controversies and mudslinging that might lead to disintegration. Hence, the unanimous call on him to rise to the challenges of returning the party to the path of sanity and discipline in order to restore the confidence reposed in it by Nigerians.
Tambuwal
As someone, who emerged under similar circumstance as the speaker of the House of Representatives in 2011, Tambuwal is better placed to know how best to wriggle out of the attendant legislative crises.
Aside that, he is still seen as a rallying point in the House, a situation that had manifested in the various trouble-shooting and perhaps unseen roles he played in the imbroglio.
Having congratulated the NASS leadership after the contest, many were hardly in doubt about where he stood on the matter.
Tambuwal had said the emergence of Saraki and Dogara indicated that democracy had come of age in Nigeria and that the doctrine of the independence of the legislature is gradually taking firm root.
Oyegun
Despite the presence of some powerful party figures, the buck stops on Oyegun’s desk as the national chairman.
It is this incontrovertible notion that attracted blames to him immediately after the controversial polls. He was accused of allowing the leadership crises to fester to the point where Saraki and Dogara routinely ignored party directives.
Having committed so much to the eventual victory of the party at the presidential election, Oyegun is one of the strong forces and rallying points needed to ensure that all grievances are amicably resolved.
Saraki
To observers, any peace move in the party would be meaningless if the Senate President, who is the central character plays less decisive role.
Being at the centre of the impasse gives him all the aces to end or aggravate the crisis.
Apart from his position, Saraki, as a big player in the polity with influence beyond party lines, has the requisite contacts and power to salvage the party.
Dogara
Like Saraki, an end to the impasse may not be in sight if Dogara and his opponents fail to have a point of convergence through sacrifice and concession.
As a way out, he recently insisted that principal offices be shared according to NASS tradition which is always guided by the principle of federal character.
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