A former Senate President in Nigeria, Senator Ken Nnamani, has advised political parties to learn from history and allow for the independence of the legislature.
Addressing a gathering in Abuja on Monday, Senator Nnamani said the National Assembly was grappling with the crisis of the supremacy of the party versus an established arm of government.
The former Senate President cautioned that the independence of the legislature should not be sacrificed on the altar of party supremacy.
Ever since the Eight Assembly was inaugurated on June 9, it has been plagued by one crisis after the other, all of it centred on the choice of the leadership of both chambers.
The emergence of the principal officers of the Senate and House of Representatives was the tipping point in the drama at the National Assembly.
The ruling party, the All Progressives Congress, in an attempt to enforce party’s supremacy, went on a collision course with some lawmakers in both chambers.
A former lawmaker, Senator Ita Enang and some other former federal lawmakers at the event set a legislative agenda for the National Assembly and also identified critical areas, which the parliament must focus on.
Senator Enang stressed the need for lawmakers to learn to balance party interests with their legislative duties.
But in spite of the bickering over leadership positions in the National Assembly, Nigerians expect the federal lawmakers to perform the duties for which they were elected.
The Senate and the House of Representatives have set up ad-hoc committees to put together a legislative agenda for the Eight Assembly.
These committees are expected to initiate a legislative agenda, which would guide the National Assembly on the areas of specific national legislation, which it would focus on the next four years.