Ahead Tuesday NASS proclamation, former Governor of Edo State, Senator Oserheimen Osunbor has advised lawmakers-elect to respect the decision of their political parties while casting their votes.
The two-term lawmaker gave this advice in a chat with journalists in Abuja stating that this will go a long way in making their parties have adequate confidence in them in pursuing the manifestos of their parties as lawmakers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
The professor of law hinged his position on the fact that it will be out of place for a newly elected member of NASS not to respect the decision of a party that sponsored him.
Hear him:
Asked whether if he was newly elected member what would he have done, Osunbor said: ” Yes! I respect party decisions because if you do not respect party decision then there will be problems. It is only fair that once the party has come out to say this is the position that all conscientious party members should adhere.
“Well, that is important. The party has the responsibility to guide its members that is why it is a party. We don’t yet have independent candidates, at least none of the persons elect either in the House of Reps or Senate is independent. They were all sponsored by political parties.
“And I think having just emerged under the platform of a political party, they must not just immediately disregard directives from their political party; it is too soon in my view for anybody to say to his party, we are not going to listen to you, I am here on my own basis, I won’t listen to you as a political party, I don’t think that will be very responsible behaviour.
“They were sponsored by political parties and the reasons they were sponsored is that they will go and implement the programmes and policies of the party; for you to now get there, the very first test you fail it, I don’t think it portends well for our democracy.
“But having said that, as I told them during the induction programme, at the end of the day, every senator sitting there on that day will have his or her conscience to direct how he or she will vote.
“The party is not going to bring a hammer or a gun and put it on anybody’s head, the same thing with the members of the House of Reps. Ultimately it will be their decision but the party has a duty, indeed a responsibility, to point the way to its members in the national assembly.