Ayade: Why lawmakers-elect are still running for offices despite APC’s position

Ben Ayade, governor of Cross River state, says some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are still seeking leadership offices of the national assembly despite the party’s nominations because the consultation process was not “romantic”.

The ruling party had nominated Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs, and Barau Jibrin, senator representing Kano north, for senate president and deputy respectively.

The decision of the party did not go down well with some party members like Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara, who has insisted that he would still run for the number three position.

Speaking in Abuja on Tuesday at an event organised by former senators backing Akpabio for senate president, Ayade said those insisting on running for positions of presiding officers despite the party’s stance should be shown, love.

“I want to assure you that we will be sitting back and watching you as well. We’ll be in a haste to call you to order when we see that you moving from the principles and ideals of having Nigerians have this respect,” he said.

“It is not enough for us to endorse them but we must join them and work hand-in-hand. Our brothers who are insisting that they want to run, let’s go to them, let’s celebrate them, let’s worship them, let’s show them, love. It is only love that drives out hate.

“Their grandstanding is driven by the fact that I think the consultation process ought to have been a little romantic – and I think that you (Akpabio) have the romance.”

Also speaking, Barau Jibrin said he was surprised that first-term senators were seeking to be presiding officers without knowing the rules or how the senate operates.

“I’m very surprised that you find somebody coming into the senate, he has never stepped his leg into the senate but he’s coming with two papers in his hands, one, to the clerk of the national assembly to get him sworn in by the incoming senate president, the second is an application to run for the senate presidency,” the Kano senator said.

“What kind of thing is this? You don’t even know the tradition of the senate, you don’t know how to move a motion, you don’t know how to pass a bill.”