Intrigues in APC as govs, lawmakers battle for 10th NASS leadership

…APC stakeholder raises allegation of bribery

By Tom Okpe

There seems to be renewed clamor for the control of the 10th National Assembly, and this has pitched some governors, incoming and outgoing with legislators, especially in the ruling All Progressives Congress APC.

National Vice Chairman, (North-West) of the All Progressives Congress, (APC) Salihu Moh’ Lukman has cried out that some aspirants, contesting various positions in the yet to be inaugurated 10th National Assembly leadership are bribing party leaders for principal positions.

Lukman, a member of the ruling party National Working Committee, (NWC) and former Director General, Progressives Governors’ Forum, (PGF) however, called on the leadership of the party to impose an ethical code of conduct that would automatically disqualify any lawmaker who attempt to bribe his way into becoming the next Senate President or Speaker of the House of Representatives.

He said the party Secretariat, also known as Buhari House is filled with bags of sugar and rice, courtesy of aspirants from the National Assembly.

At a press conference on Thursday in Abuja, Lukman said it is disrespectful to think that the current NWC can be bribed, adding that such unsolicited gesture is unethical and will no longer be tolerated in a progressive party like the APC.

Lukman’s appeal is coming in the wake of reports that members of the National Assembly who are eyeing leadership seats have turned the APC national secretariat to a warehouse where several trucks are in the last one week offloading bags of rice and sugar for party leaders and members of the NWC.

He noted that, though, they have watched some Senators and House of Representatives members lobbied colleagues and stakeholders of the party with impunity but the party is yet to zone any of the principal offices to any region, conceding that there are ongoing discussions on the issue among relevant decision making bodies.

“I want to appeal to our leaders and my colleagues in the NWC that we should take every step to stop some unethical conduct in the party.

“As things are, it is so worrisome that people who are aspiring for positions of leadership at the National Assembly are reaching out to members of the NWC in an unethical way.

“I don’t think that is right. At least two Senators, unfortunately from my zone, who are aspiring for the position of Senate President have sent bags of rice and bags of sugar.

“Another member of House of Representatives, also from my zone, aspiring for the position of Speaker of the House, I learnt has also sent bags of rice to individual members.

“As of today, (yesterday) we’ve not taken decision on zoning of offices in the party, And I think it’s wrong for leaders at this level to be engaging in unethical conduct.

I think everything needs to be done to sanitise the party and those who are engaged in unethical conduct, if I have my way, culprits will be disqualified from contesting positions they are aspiring for.

“This is the only way we can begin to sanitise politics in this country.

I want to appeal to our party. I have been an advocate of having a code of conduct within the APC.

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“It is not by accident that God bestowed the responsibility of ruling this country in our hands. It is not by accident that we also find ourselves in the NWC.

“So, I should, through you, raise this alarm and call on all those aspiring for positions of leadership in the National Assembly to please respect the party and those of us in the NWC.

“I don’t see why bags of rice and sugar will get into the Secretariat for distribution,” Lukman stated.