The forum of legislative aides to senators and members of the house of representatives have turned down the imposition of senator Dino Melaye’s brother, Sam Melaye, to be chairman of the forum.
The aides who function under the aegis of National Assembly Legislative Aides Forum (NASSLAF), on Sunday, May 8, 2016, in a statement by the Public Relations Officer, Yusuf Bamidele, said Melaye’s emergence as chairman would violate the zoning arrangement of its constitution.
Senator Melaye’s younger Sam, hails from the North Central where the outgoing chairman, Mahmood Muhammed, also hails from. Members of the forum are therefore of the view that North Central can no longer have the office.
Yusuf said “Our elections and leadership are driven by zonal arrangements. The last administration of Mahmood Muhammed, who is now a member of the House of Representatives, was from the North Central.
By so doing, the North Central has had its shot and cannot come again.”
He said “We have North-West, North-East, South-South, South-East and South-West, so we cannot allow a particular zone to shortchange us,” the group stated.
The group recalled that its election on Thursday, April 28, produced Mr. Darlington Udeh as winner, wondering why some persons in the National Assembly management were trying to impose Melaye on it.
