The nomination of former minister of Niger Delta, Senator Godswill Akpabio, as president of the Senate, has been faulted by the Citizens Advocacy Group.
According to the group, this as an “affront on the principle of Separation of Power.”
Politics Nigeria reports that the group, in a statement on Tuesday, May 16, described the APC’s nomination as imposition of candidates on the 10th National Assembly.
The statement was jointly signed by its convener, Chris Sunday George and the Secretary, Haruna Kabir.
The group said:
“What the APC has done is an autocratic imposition which has no place in a democracy as it poses serious danger to the independent legislature and an attack on the principle of separation of power.”
“We believe the race should be thrown open for all the candidates who have expressed interest from the zone to test their strength and popularity in a free and fair contest and anything short of that would not augur well for the smooth take-off of the 10th Assembly.”
“At this point in time when Nigeria is faced with a multitude of challenges, we cannot afford to inaugurate a new government and the National Assembly on a shaky and controversial note and we can avoid this by not giving room for imposition as the APC leadership has done.
“We reiterate that the decision of the party is not democratic. It is not well thought-out. It is highly offensive and a decision that must not be allowed to stand for the sake of equity and fair play.”
