An 11-man delegation of the Nigerian senate has paid a get-well-soon visit to former governor of Ogun state, Chief Olusegun Osoba in London, United Kingdom.
The delegation led by the Chairman, Senate Committee on Finance, Senator Solomon Adeola, said the lawmakers decided to a pay a visit to the former governor to wish him speedy recovery after a recent knee surgery.
Other members of the delegation include; Senator Kashim Shetima (APC, Borno Central), Senator Isah Jubril (APC, Kogi East), Senator Micheal Nnachi(PDP, Ebonyi South), Senator Ayo Akinyelure (PDP, Ondo Central), Senator Gershon Bassey(PDP, Cross River South), Senator Yusuf Abubakar Yusuf(APC, Taraba Central), Senator Sadiq Sulaiman Umar(APC, Kwara North), Senator Tokunbo Abiru(APC, Lagos East) Senator Bashiru Ajibola(APC, Osun Central) and Senator Hassan Mohamed Gusau(APC, Zamfara Central).
Speaking during the visit, Shetima said he alongside his colleagues only paid a visit to the elder statesman to wish him well and also seek wisdom from him.
In his words, “As Senators of the Federal Republic, all of us are interested in the growth and progress of our nation,” Mr Shetima said.
“We did not come here for partisan consideration but to seek wisdom from an elder statesman that had contributed positively to the growth of the nation and still willing to do more even in advanced age.”
Addressing the delegation, Osoba appreciated the lawmakers, adding that he was recuperating well and would soon be back in the country.
Speaking on the Electoral Act, Osoba commended the lawmakers for a job well done, hailing the passage of the use of direct primary as a means of selecting candidates for all political parties.
Osoba who appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the newly passed Electoral Act, stressed that the provisions in the ammended bill will protect the interest of Nigerians.
In his words: “I have a feeling he will sign it. The president himself is a product of direct primary. He submitted himself to direct primary in 2019 throughout the country, heaven did not fall. After he subjected himself to direct primary throughout Nigeria in all the wards, he also subjected himself to a National Convention to ratify his election at the primary.
“And quote me, I had cause to tell him at our National Caucus during the Edo election issue that ‘Mr. President, if you can subject yourself to direct primary and national Convention, I do not see why anybody should be afraid of direct primary.’ I said this to him and we must be honest when we are talking to our leaders. That is why I believe that the president, having been a product of direct primary, will sign the law for direct primary.
“In the case of direct primary, we are running a presidential system of government patterned after that of the USA. It is direct primary in USA that we copied. Why are we selective? If we don’t want direct primary, then let us go back to parliamentary system like India where party caucuses select candidates.
“We cannot be selective on some aspects of the presidential system that we practise while jettisoning what is its democratic content. The idea of ‘we’ governors handpicking should stop. Let the people have a say.”
