…Why Aiyedatiwa wants all Senators, Reps replaced.

Ahead of the 2027 elections, there is a suppressed Cold War between governors elected on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) and federal lawmakers from their respective states. That is as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the weekend, hinted that he would wish all federal lawmakers returned to the National Assembly.

Piqued by what an insider described as “unusual declaration”, the governors under the umbrella of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) are likely to meet President Tinubu before he departs to the United Kingdom next week. “It’s an unusual declaration that caught the governors unaware and they are to meet him possibly before he leaves for the UK next week”, a source close to one of the governors confided in our correspondent.

The source said the governors will meet a day prior to their planned meeting with the president where they will draw up possible concessions to be extracted from the president. But he did not give details of such areas the governors are likely to seek concessions. The situation is, however, not universal as isolated governors, especially those seeking their second term are battling to stop majority federal lawmakers from seeking a return to the National Assembly.

The battle of wits, which is all about the control of the 11th National Assembly, had begun about 10 months ago but got to its turning point when the progressive governors about a week ago, tipped their chairman and Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, to replace Senator Godswill Akpabio as next senate president.

President Tinubu had at an interfaith breaking of fast with members of the House of Representatives led by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, at the State House, hinted on returning majority of the federal lawmakers except areas where there are rotational and zoning arrangements.

Why Aiyedatiwa wants all Senators, Reps replaced

In Ondo State for instance, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, is up in arms against all the three senators as well as seven out of the nine members of the House of Representatives. He is seeking to replace all. Although Governor Aiyedatiwa, as well as the federal lawmakers, have denied that there is a rift between them, a credible source said: “It is normal to have his loyalists in the National Assembly.”

Aside that, the governor is reportedly angry that the federal lawmakers rejected the governor’s overtures to present a common memorandum seeking to amend Section 182 (3) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution (as amended) to allow for another fresh term in office beyond the current tenure.

Section 182 (3) stipulates: “A person who was sworn-in as Governor to complete the term for which another person was elected as Governor shall not be elected to such office for more than a single term”. One of the federal lawmakers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confided in our correspondent that the Governor met six of them to initiate the amendment proceedings.

“There is no secret about that the Governor wants to have third oath of office, which is against the spirit of the Constitution. He invited six of us to a meeting on the need for us to initiate the process through a joint memorandum but we were unanimous that such was an uphill task except it is decided by the courts.

“Basically, we warned him not to attempt it because it would not fly; and apart from that we hinted him that former President Goodluck Jonathan could benefit from such a process but rather than showing understanding, he threatened that we will all lose our tickets to return to the National Assembly.”

Reacting to the issue, Ondo State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Mr. Idowu Ajanaku, said the governor has no constitutional power or intention to remove or stop the re-election of any federal lawmaker, especially because the National Executive of the party conducts party primaries primaries.

“The governor has no candidate. It is not true that the governor does not want anybody to return. Every aspirant will go through the primaries as contained in the Electoral Act. Every member of the party is free to contest. And the governor will support any of the aspirants who emerges as candidate of the party,” he said.