OrderPaper: Tinubu will exert unprecedented influence on n’assembly

OrderPaper Nigeria, an organisation dedicated to reporting parliamentary affairs, says President Bola Tinubu will “exert the highest influence and impact on the national assembly” in the history of the nation’s democracy. 

In a new report, OrderPaper said the influence will “either strengthen the legislature or reinforce its widely perceived rubber stamp status”.

In a statement released on Friday, David Oputah, OrderPaper’s senior programme executive, said the report titled ‘From the Legislature to the Executive (FLEX)’, is a specialised edition of OrderPaper’s Quarterly Policy Review (QPR) series.

“The FLEX edition establishes that the character and composition of the Tinubu government are defining factors not only of its relationship with the National Assembly but also the legacy of governance and democratic imprints the president will leave behind in office,” the statement reads.

“At the sub-national level, the report identifies ten state governors elected into office from the National and State Assemblies, thereby creating a common denominator for a specialised performance rating regarding governance and relationship with their state legislatures.”

The report said 22 of the 48 cabinet members were members of the national or state assemblies, adding that this gives President Tinubu the “record of transitioning the largest number of politicians from the legislature to the executive in one fell swoop”.

“Besides the fact that President Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima are both FLEXes themselves (having both served in the Senate at various times), the President has a horde of other appointees with cognate legislative background and experience,” the report stated.

“These include Femi Gbajabiamila, his Chief of Staff, the immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, and George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), who served three terms in the Senate.

“Instructively, both positions are perhaps the most critical statutory organs of the presidency that can facilitate the optimal delivery of the vision, goals and manifesto of the Tinubu administration.

“In line with tradition, President Tinubu’s two liaison officers to the National Assembly, Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel and Ibrahim Olarewaju Kunle, who officially serve as presidential aides to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate and House of Representatives respectively), are FLEXes.

“Going by these, OrderPaper, Nigeria’s foremost independent parliamentary monitoring organisation and policy think tank that bridges the gap between people and parliament, asserts that the FLEX phenomenon will play defining roles in determining President Tinubu’s legacy concerning service delivery and democratic consolidation.”

OrderPaper further said the “legacy of 10 state governors, like that of President Tinubu, will also be substantially determined by the fact of their transition from the legislature to the executive branch of government”.

The governors are Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa, Bassey Otu of Cross River, Umar Bago of Niger, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, and Bala Mohammed of Bauchi.

Others are Douye Diri of Bayelsa, Hope Uzodimma of Imo, Ademola Adeleke of Osun, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, and Uba Sani of Kaduna.

Oke Epia, founder of OrderPaper, said the FLEX report sheds light on the intricate dynamics between the legislature and executive branches of government.

“FLEX is our modest contribution to the quest for democratic accountability in Nigeria, laying a solid and objective basis to not only gauge the democratic temperament of the current administration, specifically in its checks-and-balance relationship with the legislature, but also measure the ongoing stewardship and legacy of President Tinubu and the state governors concerned,” Epia said.