10th NASS leadership: Tinubu, NASS lawmakers-elect to meet in Aso Villa

A crucial meeting between the Presidency and the lawmakers-elect is being scheduled for today.

The crucial meeting is not unconnected to disagreements among those interested in occupying presiding officers in the 10th National Assembly.

The meeting was earlier speculated to hold on Monday, but was rescheduled for Sunday (today), owing to the urgency of the matter at hand.

Senators-elect and members-elect of the House of Representatives, including those from opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party PDP and Labour Party are expected to attend the highly important meeting.

According to the organisers, the meeting is scheduled to kick-off at 7pm. at the State House, Abuja.

The invitation to the meeting was signed by the Permanent Secretary of the State House, Tijanni Umar, on behalf of the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.

Gbajabiamila, the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, was recently appointed as Tinubu’s Chief of Staff.

The current ninth session of the National Assembly will end on June 11, while the 10th session will be inaugurated on June 13.

In between these periods, a new leadership is expected to emerge through an election by the lawmakers.

It is, therefore, not clear if the outgoing senators and members of the House will participate in the meeting, as the invitation does not indicate such.

However, it is speculated that it is one of the ways the president is using to persuade the opposition lawmakers to support his nominees for the leadership of the two chambers.

Tinubu is reportedly backing former Akwa Ibom State governor, Godswill Akpabio, and the current senator for Kano North, Barau Jibrin, for the positions of Senate President and Deputy Senate President, respectively.