Democratic government is a government that sits on a tripod of equal parts comprising of the Executive, Legislature and the Judiciary. Each of the part has wide powers to wield with responsibilities. But one thing common to all these parts is the people. Separately and jointly, they must exercise their powers for the good of the people that’s why people are the epicentre and nerve of a democratic government.
Is this the case in Nigeria since we returned to democratic governance in 1999? The bickering between arms of government has never been this wide and rampant, and I think it has its genesis in 1999 when the Executive overplayed its hand in the selection of the principal officers of the National Assembly. It got worse during the clandestine third term agenda of former President Olusegun Obasanjo when bribe was openly offered by the executive to the legislators to vote in favour of the then president’s plan.
Since then, the National Assembly has lost its moral compass. Another sordid reason for the elevation of the disagreement between the arms of the government is the prevalence of former governors and some shady characters in the National Assembly. The former governors, who flagrantly disobey, manipulate and openly controlled their state Assemblies while in office transiting to the National Assembly still holds dearly the executive mentality. And with the support of other shady and self-serving characters elected into the National Assembly, anything goes and everything goes disarray!
The above is not exhaustive of how we got to where we are today, but it’s a major part of it. I don’t want to necessarily say being ambitious is also part of the problem but from the look of things blind ambitions is gradually leading to the internal implosion of the present administration and the two dominant political parties. Above all, what game is Saraki and the National Assembly playing in bringing to the fore the policies and agendas of the present administration? Is the National Assembly as its present constituted functioning to aid good governance and democratic tenets?
President Muhammadu Buhari’s unfortunate ill-health situation has left the political space for too many gladiators who are eyeing the presidency. I’m of the opinion that his non-interference in the selection of the National Assembly principal officers at the inception of his administration which led to the emergence of Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara as the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively was a good thing and in line with good democratic practice but many said it was a grave mistake. And unfolding events has since proven so.
The presidency and the National Assembly has never worked in tandem but at cross purposes. The first appropriation budget under the administration was heavily padding. The 2017 budget estimates submitted by the executive to the legislature was doctored to suit their whims and caprices which led to a war of words between the former governor of Lagos State, now the Minister of Works, Power and Housing, Babatunde Fashola and members of the National Assembly. The minister frowns at the National Assembly unilateral reduction of his ministry’s budget for some important projects for cosmetic constituency ones.
The National Assembly under the leadership of Bukola Saraki as the Senate President has at every turn frustrated the anti corruption fight of the executive with its utterances and some of the laws it wanted to enact. The charade of his acquittal at the Code of Conduct Tribunal is to be appealed by the executive. A National Assembly that is supposed to pass laws that will elevate and better the lives of the masses only legislate the purchase of an N285m bulletproof car for the Senate President. A car they refused to pay the requisite customs duty. And when the car was seized by the Nigeria Customs Service, the Senate stopped everything to pick up an unnecessary, infantile fight with the Comptroller General of the Customs, Hameed Alli.
The same Senate twice has refused to confirm the President’s nomination of Ibrahim Magu as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, EFCC because Mr. Magu is allegedly investigating some of them. Severally, the Senate has held the presidency for ransom by refusing to carry out its constitutional duties except it was pandered. Now, they are hatching plans to take over the presidency.
The crisis and bickering between the presidency and the National Assembly reached a new height this week as the as the Senate announced its decision to stop approving all nominations for posts from the presidency until its rejection of the EFCC chairman is complied with. The Senate on Tuesday during its sitting took exception to the retention of the Acting Chairman of EFCC, Mr. Ibrahim Magu, and the Executive’s alleged non-compliance with its resolutions. Senate President, Bukola Saraki said, “this is an issue that we have to once and for all address. We cannot pass laws and see that the laws are not being obeyed. This resolution must be obeyed by the Acting President; otherwise, we will take appropriate actions and resolutions.” And this led to the unveiling of the Senate intention to take over the Executive.
Senators Eyinanya Abaribe and Kabiru Marafa had under Point of Order asked the Senate President to become Acting President in the absence of President Muhammadu Buhari and the Acting President, who was away for AU meeting in Addis Ababa. Marafa said: “If the President is not around, the Vice President should act, and if the Vice President is not around, the Senate President, who is the number 3 citizen should become Acting President.” These senators are calling on Saraki to invariably take over the presidency.
The rumour mill is also rife of the plan by the Senate to impeach the Acting President, paving the way for Saraki to ascend to the presidency. It was reported that the Senate President, Bukola Saraki met with the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo in the wee hours of Thursday to dispel some of these insinuations.
Truth to be told, this is a government in disarray. The ongoing Sariki’s orchestrated calculation to take over the presidency is aptly contextualized in a Yoruba aphorism or proverb, “When the cat is not at around, the house belong to the rat”. The absence of President Buhari has suddenly enervated those angling and jousting for the presidency to show their hands. The Acting President should start exerting his power; his calm and cool mien is being misconstrued for weakness. He should know that he’s dealing with two faced people. Nigerians are suffering and we deserve better treatment and consideration from this administration. It’s been two years of utter failure and hardship thanks to a National Assembly populated by people not representing the people.
