A former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Umaru Al-Makura, has said if he becomes the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, he will ensure that members of the National Assembly get another term in the federal parliament.
Al-Makura said this in Abuja on Thursday at a consultative meeting with the APC Caucus in the House of Representatives.
Responding specifically to a question on lawmakers getting return tickets, Al-Makura said, “I believe in continuity and I believe that Nigerian democracy, as it is now, is at its very youthful stage. What we need is to ensure that people who already know the system continue to add value to the system.
“We will be stagnating our democracy if we promote the entrance of too many people that will come to learn how to legislate. What we are trying to look for is how we can build our democracy to endure. So, for me, I am compelled to encourage through whatever means to ensure members who are currently in the legislature are encouraged to come back.
“This will not be by fiat. I cannot say outright because I cannot give what I don’t have. But I will work through the states – the legislatures there – and other stakeholders to ensure that most of the people who are in the parliament now return, so that our democracy will grow.”
According to Al-Makura, any government that wants to ensure development and progress, especially in a democracy, cannot do without the legislature. “So, being a member of the legislature; if by the special grace of God I am the chairman of this party, the legislatures, both the Senate, House of Representatives, the (state) Houses of Assembly and the councillors are all members of once constituency,” he said.
The ex-governor also dismissed the crises bedevilling the APC, noting that he would discourage litigation under his leadership of the ruling party.
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