By Shola Abayomi
Lawmakers in both chambers of the National Assembly appeared to be looking beyond the duo of Senate President Bukola Saraki and Speaker Yakubu Dogara whose tenures end early next month (June).
Hitherto, there are always a retinue of lawmakers milling around the two presiding officers to pay respect in anticipation of one favor or another. This group of legislators have now disappeared, clearly in anticipation of a new leadership.
Prior to this time, the duo of Saraki and Dogara normally took about 20 minutes to enter the chambers owing to the number of lawmakers and others who normally wait in line to shake hands and exchange pleasantries. In recent times, however, it now takes less than five minutes for both principal officers to make their ways from their offices to the chambers, a situation attributed in large part to reduced protocols and formalities.
There is also a significant reduction in the number of visitors that frequent both offices, just as access has now been relaxed in the two offices that previously enjoyed maximum amount of protocols and bureaucracy.