The Senator Representing Niger- East , David Umaru has said that the crisis rocking the National Assembly is due to undue external influence on the National Assembly.
The senator who spoke to Journalists in Minna yesterday, stated that the election of Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and that of Speaker of House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara is not negotiable at his party’s ( APC) National Executive Council (NEC) meeting scheduled for weekend.
Umaru stated that interference from outside the National Assembly has made it difficult for the legislature to freely elect leaders of their choice in conformity with laid down democratic principles.
“The existing laws are very clear; it is the senators or House of Representatives’ members that should elect who their leaders should be. There is a very good reason for this and that is because the lawmakers are the ones to work with their leaders. The issue of the election of Dr Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Yakubu Dogora as Speaker is not negotiable” he posited.
He added that It cannot be negotiated outside the National Assembly, insisting that the election of principal officers of the National Assembly has come to stay and that it was not that of loyalty to the party.