4 months ago
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A former National Vice Chairman North-west of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Salihu Lukman, has criticized the current National Assembly for succumbing to the narcissistic control of the president.
The former APC chieftain expressed that the parliament is failing to represent the interests of Nigerians.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Lukman pointed out that part of the problem with the country’s democracy is that both chambers of the National Assembly are only accountable to themselves.
He emphasized that the Public Accounts Committees in both chambers should oversee the management of funds allocated to the National Assembly but have not been doing so effectively.
Lukman highlighted that these issues have led to a situation where the National Assembly, its leadership, and its members have lost the moral authority to regulate the conduct of the executive branch.
He claimed that the legislature functions at the mercy of the President and the executive, almost as if they are employees of the executive.
He accused the President and the executive of using various incentives to manipulate the legislature into approving proposals that are harmful to public interests.
According to him, this has turned the legislature into a tool that harms the people, eventually rendering its members liabilities that are discarded when no longer useful.
Lukman stated: “The point is, Nigerian democracy, as it is, is not functionally representing the interests of citizens largely because the parliament, represented by the two chambers of the National Assembly – Senate and House of Representatives – have involuntarily submitted themselves to the narcissistic control of the president.
“Until and unless the parliament can free itself from the president, it will almost be impossible for it to develop the capacity to defend and protect the interests of Nigerians.“
English (US) ·