Ahead of tomorrow’s proclamation of the eighth National Assembly, the All Progressives Congress (APC), which controls majority seats in the Senate and the House of Representatives, yesterday cautioned its members against going against its consensus candidates on the floor.

At the weekend, the party held straw polls in Abuja where Senator Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North) emerged as consensus candidate for Senate President. Senator George Akume was picked for Deputy Senate President.

House of Representatives member Femi Gbajabiamila (Surelere Constituency, Lagos) was nominated for speaker. Alhaji Tahir Monguno (Monguno/Tahir Constituency, Borno State) was picked for deputy speaker.

But the camp of Senator Bukola Saraki boycotted the meeting.

For the House of Representatives, the supporters of Yakubu Dogara, who is alo vying for speaker, protested. They have vowed to present their candidate on the floor of the House for the position tomorrow.

But the APC said last night it had started reaching out to its members who might be aggrieved following the primary. It requesting them to put their interest below that of the party.

National Secretary Mai Mala Buni, in a statement, also told members not to go against the party’s s decision, saying “it will be a shame” if the party, in spite of its majority, cannot pick the parliamentary leaders of its choice.

He said: “The All Progressives Congress (APC) is reaching out to all its members in the incoming eighth National Assembly who may be aggrieved after the emergence of the party’s official candidates on Saturday.”

The party said “it is natural for some members to be disappointed by the outcome of the straw poll that was conducted to select the party’s official candidates for the post: Senator Ahmed Lawan for Senate President and Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila for Speaker, House of Representatives.”

Buni added: “We must put the interest of our party above personal interests and avoid a situation whereby any other candidates, apart from those picked by the party, will emerge as Senate President and House Speaker on Tuesday.

‘’Any outstanding issues will be resolved by the party so we won’t go into Tuesday’s election with more than one candidate each for the two posts, Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives,’’ it said, adding that “it would be a shame if, despite its majority in both chambers of the National Assembly, the APC is unable to produce a Senate President and a House Speaker of its choice.”

The APC explained that its role in ensuring a common front within the party ahead of Tuesday’s election “is that of an honest broker”, saying its goal of ensuring that the party does not go into the election with more than one candidate for each post has now been achieved.

The party appealed to all aggrieved members to sheathe their swords and allow peace to reign, in the overall interest of not just the party but the entire nation.