2023: Vote Us Out If You’re Tired Of Our Faces, Lawan Tells Nigerians

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has called on unsatisfied
Nigerians to “change the set of lawmakers” in the ninth assembly by
voting them out in the 2023 general elections.

He made this call on Friday while speaking at a retreat for top
management staff of the National Assembly and National Assembly
Service Commission in Abuja.

His reaction comes on the heels of criticism from individuals
and civic groups of Nigerian leaders including lawmakers.

It also comes about a month after Nigerians took to the street
to demand an end to police brutality in particular and bad
governance in general.

Mr Lawan, in his address, faulted Nigerians who demand for the
details of the implementation of the National Assembly’s budget
rather than the work the lawmakers do.

Rather than calling for the scrapping of the Senate or National
Assembly and debating the jumbo pay of lawmakers, he said Nigerians
should ask for what they think they (lawmakers) should be doing
better.

“Do you understand the implications of if we close the senate?
Not because I am in the senate.

“The senate is a leveller because in the house of
representatives, population is major – that is why some states will
have five, six members and others have up to 20. So, if you say
“close the senate”, there will be a day when people will cry
foul.

“But in the senate, what Kano produces is what Bayelsa will
produce. Three senators in Kano and three senators in Bayelsa, so
that stabilises the system. In a budget of N13 trillion the
national assembly will get about N125 billion to N128 billion, what
percentage is that? So where is the remaining 99 per cent.”

The lawmaker further asked Nigerians to change the current set
of lawmakers in 2023 if they feel unsatisfied with their
performance.

“I’m not here to defend the national assembly but I’m here to
encourage the debate on what it means to us as country. If you
don’t like the set of members in the ninth national assembly,
change all of us in 2023. Get better people. Let’s support the
system to function,” he said.

He further explained that without the national assembly and the
legislature across the country, democracy is absent.

The value of the legislature and national assembly to Nigerians
is democracy, he added, and if you take out the legislature, it
might not be a dictatorship but certainly not a democracy.

The Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has called on unsatisfied
Nigerians to “change the set of lawmakers” in the ninth assembly by
voting them out in the 2023 general elections.

He made this call on Friday while speaking at a retreat for top
management staff of the National Assembly and National Assembly
Service Commission in Abuja.

His reaction comes on the heels of criticism from individuals
and civic groups of Nigerian leaders including lawmakers.

It also comes about a month after Nigerians took to the street
to demand an end to police brutality in particular and bad
governance in general.

Mr Lawan, in his address, faulted Nigerians who demand for the
details of the implementation of the National Assembly’s budget
rather than the work the lawmakers do.

Rather than calling for the scrapping of the Senate or National
Assembly and debating the jumbo pay of lawmakers, he said Nigerians
should ask for what they think they (lawmakers) should be doing
better.

“Do you understand the implications of if we close the senate?
Not because I am in the senate.

“The senate is a leveller because in the house of
representatives, population is major – that is why some states will
have five, six members and others have up to 20. So, if you say
“close the senate”, there will be a day when people will cry
foul.

“But in the senate, what Kano produces is what Bayelsa will
produce. Three senators in Kano and three senators in Bayelsa, so
that stabilises the system. In a budget of N13 trillion the
national assembly will get about N125 billion to N128 billion, what
percentage is that? So where is the remaining 99 per cent.”

The lawmaker further asked Nigerians to change the current set
of lawmakers in 2023 if they feel unsatisfied with their
performance.

“I’m not here to defend the national assembly but I’m here to
encourage the debate on what it means to us as country. If you
don’t like the set of members in the ninth national assembly,
change all of us in 2023. Get better people. Let’s support the
system to function,” he said.

He further explained that without the national assembly and the
legislature across the country, democracy is absent.

The value of the legislature and national assembly to Nigerians
is democracy, he added, and if you take out the legislature, it
might not be a dictatorship but certainly not a democracy.