2027: Atiku’s presidency won’t determine Senate President, Reps Speaker — Melaye
Dino Melaye, Deputy Director-General of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Presidential Campaign Council, stated that a government led by Atiku Abubakar will not influence the selection of the Senate President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
During an appearance on Arise Television’s “Prime Time” on Monday, Melaye emphasized the ADC’s commitment to democratic principles, asserting that lawmakers will have the autonomy to elect their leaders without interference from the presidential office.
“An Atiku presidency will not determine who is going to be the Senate President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives,” Melaye said. He further added, “Atiku is a Democrat. The ADC is a very democratic political party. So we are going to allow the people to elect their leaders.”
Melaye argued that this approach would foster legislative independence and enhance the National Assembly’s oversight of the executive branch. He highlighted that allowing lawmakers to select their leaders would promote a degree of independence within the legislature.
“To start with, the ADC will ensure that the National Assembly is truly independent,” Melaye stated. “If the National Assembly is truly independent, that will drive their oversight functions over the Executive.”
When discussing mechanisms for scrutinizing government spending, Melaye pointed to the empowerment of relevant National Assembly committees to question government officials and monitor expenditures. He identified the Committees on Establishment, Finance, and Budget and Planning as crucial for investigating government spending and ensuring accountability.
“The Committee on Establishment is responsible for questioning this type of spending because they have a direct oversight function over the State House,” Melaye noted. “The Committee on Finance and the Committee on Budget and Planning are also available to ask questions.”
