Dino Melaye, the Deputy Director-General of the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, has stated that a government headed by Atiku Abubakar will maintain a hands- off approach regarding the emergence of leadership in the National Assembly.
Addressing the public during an interview on Arise Television's Prime Time programme on Monday, Melaye maintained that the party upholds core democratic tenets and would permit federal legislators to independently elect their presiding officers without executive meddling.
What did the ADC campaign chief say about legislative autonomy?
"To start with, an Atiku presidency will not determine who is going to be the Senate president, the president of the Senate, or the Speaker of the House of Representatives," Melaye remarked during the broadcast.
He further explained, "Atiku is a democrat. ADC is a very democratic political party. So we are going to allow the people to elect their leaders."
According to the former lawmaker, granting independence to the legislature to select its leaders fosters a healthy separation of powers and reinforces the parliament's capacity to check the executive branch.
How will the party monitor government expenditures?
Addressing queries regarding financial oversight and the tracking of public fund disbursements, Melaye noted that existing parliamentary committees would be fully empowered to demand accountability from government officials.
He pointed out panels such as the Committees on Establishment, Finance, and Budget and Planning as vital instruments for auditing state spending.
"The Committee on Establishment is responsible for questioning this type of spenders because they have direct oversight function over the State House. The committee on finance is there. The committee on budget and planning is there," Melaye stated, adding that these legislative organs would be utilized effectively to interrogate public spending.