There is conflict within the Joint Task Force of the 10th Assembly, a group of House of Representatives members that championed the election of Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Hon. Benjamin Kalu to the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively.
As it is obtainable during the sharing of booty after a successful war, LEADERSHIP learnt that the scramble for both headship and membership of juicy C’committees is tearing the once united group apart.
The Joint Task -10th Assembly emerged on April 12 as a coalition of returning and new members-elect from all political parties who won seats in the House.
They lawmakers had vowed to respect the decision of the majority party, the All Progressive Congress (APC), on zoning of the Speaker and ‘sDeputy Speaker positions.
The coalition at the initial stage comprised of 283 members-elect from the APC, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
Usman Bello-Kumo (APC, Gombe) and Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers), the chairman and co-chairman of the group had disclosed in a statement announcing its debut.
Barely one month later, the APC National Working Committee (NWC) gave a nod to the endorsement of Abbas and Kalu as Speaker and deputy Speaker of the House by the then president-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The national publicity secretary of APC, Felix Morka had said, “The National Working Committee of the APC met today, Monday, May 8, 2023 to consider reports of consultations and meetings held with the President- elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, other Party leaders and stakeholders on zoning arrangement for 10th National Assembly leadership positions.
“The NWC noted with respect the outcome of the meetings held between the President-elect and the leadership of the NWC. The NWC called for further and better consultation with necessary stakeholders in order to assure the support of the aspirants to the National Assembly leadership positions and members of the Party nationwide.
“The zoning arrangement reported to the NWC is as follows: Speaker, House of Representatives North West Abass Tajudeen (Kaduna) Deputy Speaker, South East- Ben Kalu (Abia)
“We urge our party leaders, members and all Nigerians to continue to work for peace and progress of our country during and beyond the current period of leadership transition.”
As promised, the Kumo and Chinda-led Joint Task- 10th Assembly swung into action and led Abbas/Kalu campaign which culminated in their victory at the inauguration of the 10th Assembly on June 13.
After the victory comes the sharing of the spoils from the political battle in the parliament, but there is increasing rancour in the House of Representatives over committees tagged ‘juicy’.
In the Nigerian legislative circles, juicy Committees are those that oversee Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the federal fovernment with large budget size and enormous influence.
Some of the juicy committees include Appropriations, Finance, Defence, Army, Navy and Air Force, Police Affairs, National Security and Intelligence, Customs and Excise, and Ports and Harbours, NIMASA, Banking and Currency, Health, Education, Agriculture, Ecological Funds, Public Accounts among others.
These and other juicy xommittees are usually reserved for members of the ruling party which is now APC and favourites of the Speaker with the Public Accounts constitutionally ceded to an opposition lawmaker, still at the discretion of the presiding officer, now Abbas.
Speaker Abbas had before the adjournment of the House on June 15 to July constituted special committees with himself and his deputy, Kalu, as chairman and deputy chairman.
The Caucus of each state of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) were to nominate a member to serve in the committee responsible for constitution and appointment of heads of Standing Committees.
In the 9th Assembly, the then Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, had constituted 105 committees, apparently to reward his loyalists.
Even at that, 80 perceived juicy and most important C’committees were chaired and populated by loyal APC members, ceding 25 to opposition lawmakers to head.
Gbajabiamila had reportedly acted on the instruction of the then APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole who had declared that the ruling party will ‘not share power with the opposition in the House’.
Oshiomhole, in the build-up to inauguration of the 9th Assembly, said: “We will not share power in the House of Representatives and the leadership must ensure that critical Committees that drive government are shared only among APC members. So all the Chairmen of Committees except one that I know is statutory reserved for opposition which is Public Account, we will have that.
“So, we will not do the kind of thing that happened the last time in which some APC members as members of the leading party became spectators in the management of the Committees when PDP has a majority of strategic Committees. That will not happen in the next Assembly.”
As the current Speaker would be announcing committees and their chairmanship and membership any moment after the House reconvene next week, his loyalists in the Joint Task are in a conflict of interest over who gets what.
Inside sources told our correspondent that the Joint Task is in a fix as both ranking and new members in the ruling party and opposition are saying they have equal stake in the emergence of speaker and sharing of Committees membership and headship should be done equitably.
A ranking member from the ruling APC said all is not well in the Joint Task as the new lawmakers are not being patient to allow their returning colleagues to head sensitive committees while they are made members or deputy at most.
The lawmaker who does not want to be mentioned said surprisingly, even members of the opposition, including the very minority parties like LP, NNPP, amongst others are eyeing not just membership but leadership of Committees which are reserved for the ruling party – APC.
“The centre seems not to be holding since the election of Mr Speaker and Deputy. We just hope that things do not far apart amongst members of the Joint Task. The struggle for Committee membership and chairmanship is almost tearing us apart.
“Normally, ranking members, especially from the ruling party which in this case, is the APC are given critical Committees but in our case, lawmakers who are both new and in the opposition want not just inclusion but to lead those critical Committees.
“Their argument is that they equally played a significant role in the emergence of the principal officers and they should be given fair share, irrespective of ranking and party affiliation,” the lawmaker said.
Another lawmaker, who apart from being new to the House is also in opposition, accused the ranking and ruling party members of greediness in the sharing of Committees.
According to the opposition member who pleaded anonymity, the new lawmaker from the minority parties are not happy about the situation and they have been calling the attention of the Speaker whom they were almost cajoled into supporting.
“How can there be harmony in Joint Task – 10th Assembly when APC members and lawmakers who have been here before us want to take everything for themselves? They are not being sensitive to us at all despite our commitment by keying into the ruling party’s anointed candidates.
“You know the intrigues leading to the inauguration and election of principal officers of the 10th House. We contributed immensely. Remember the minority parties put together, have more numbers than the APC. Also note that 75% of the members of this House are new lawmakers. So whichever way one looks at it, we have equal stake. We should be given our fair share promised before we all support the Abbas/Kalu ticket,” he said.
It was also gathered that an ally of President Tinubu, James Faleke was eyeing the Chairmanship of the Appropriation Committee which the former Chairman, Aliyu Betara indicated interest to retain before stepping down for Abbas.
Investigation revealed that while Betara was being considered for House Leader to pave the way for Faleke, Kumo, the co-chairman of Joint Task is bent on taking the number three position in the House just as his counterpart, Chinda has been named Minority Leader.