A group under the aegis of Renewed Hope Professionals (RHP) has urged the All Progressive Congress (APC) and President-elect Bola Tinubu to reverse the endorsements of anointed candidates in the National Assembly leadership race.

This is contained in a statement signed by RHP coordinator Kinu Kabirwa, noting that endorsing a candidate violates the Constitution.

On Monday, the APC National Working Committee (NWC) announced Godswill Akpabio and Abass Tajudeen as consensus candidates for Senate president and speaker positions.

The group called on Mr Tinubu to reverse the decision of the NWC to allow for the legislature’s independence.

”Democracy is now under serious threat with this imposition concocted by the outgoing NWC of APC, which will further compound the grave political situation in Nigeria,” said the group.

It added, ”As a group of professionals with the interest of APC at heart, we plead with the president-elect to immediately nullify this organised crime imposed on lawmakers and allow a free level playing ground for the legislators to pick their leaders.”

The group pointed out that it “is an aberration that must be quickly checkmated before it develops into a hydra-headed monster capable of turning the legislature into an unwarranted war zone over the personal interests of few persons in the party.”

They questioned the selection process of the NWC, which endorsed Mr Tajudeen as a speaker from a state which produced only four reps-elect.

”Was competence, equity, fairness and fairness considered in the scheme of things, or it was just an outright imposition to further truncate our shaky democracy? The above questions are begging for answers,” the group said.

The group added that the Senate presidency and speakership should not be used for political compensation.

(NAN)