The ninth National Assembly, which was inaugurated on June 11, 2019, will wind down this week, Sunday PUNCH reports.
The House of Representatives will hold its valedictory session on Tuesday, while the Senate will have its own on Wednesday.
While the President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, is expected to adjourn sitting at the Red Chamber sine die (indefinitely), the Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, will close the Green Chamber on Thursday.
On Thursday, Gbajabiamila hinted at the schedule of activities for the week.
He said, “The Clerk (to the House, Yahaya Danzaria) has just reminded me, which we were supposed to announce today at the end of the sitting. The Clerk has just reminded me that our valedictory is for Tuesday while Senate’s is for Wednesday.
“Our valedictory session is for Tuesday and Senate’s is for Wednesday. So, I think those matters can come on Wednesday. We will adjourn the House (sine die) on Wednesday or Thursday. Leave Tuesday free and all the others can come up on Wednesday and Thursday.”
The 10th Assembly is billed for inauguration on June 13, 2023, when a new set of presiding officers will be either adopted or elected.
Ahead of the inauguration, several pressure groups made up of intra and inter-party alliances had emerged in the Senate and the House.
The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress had on May 8, 2023, released the zoning formula for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly, picking Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom/South-South) President of the Senate; Jibrin Barau (Kano/North-West) for Deputy President of the Senate; Tajudeen Abbas (Kaduna/North-West) for Speaker; and Benjamin Kalu (Abia/South-East) for Deputy Speaker.
Consequently, there are opposing voices and candidates to the APC’s choice.
In the Senate, other aspirants include the current Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, from Abia State; former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari; and Senator Sani Musa from Niger State.
In the House, a group of aggrieved speakership aspirants known as G-7, which includes the incumbent Deputy Speaker Ahmed Wase; Chairman of the House Committee on Navy, Yusuf Gagdi; Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Aliyu Betara; Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli; Chinedu Ogah, Miriam Onuoha and Sani Jaji had emerged.
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu on Friday appointed Gbajabiamila, who had on February 25 been re-elected for a sixth term in the House, as his Chief of Staff, effective from June 14, allowing the Speaker to remain in charge of the House till the end of the ninth Assembly.
Lawan has also been re-elected to the Senate.
PUNCH
