Battle for Senate leadership won’t affect Ministerial list, bills
• PDP writes Akpabio on inconclusive consultations over Minority leaders
The All Progressives Congress (APC), with the largest number of members, is expected to produce the Majority leader, while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will produce the Minority leader.
While APC has 59 senators; PDP has 36; Labour Party (LP) eight; Social Democratic Party (SDP) two; New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) two; Young Peoples Party (YPP) one and All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) one. This shows seven political parties making up membership of the 10th Senate, with 50 as opposition members.
APC is expected to produce the majority leader, deputy majority leader, chief whip and deputy chief whip. The four principal positions reserved for the minority caucus are minority leader, deputy minority leader, minority whip and deputy minority whip.
Nominations for the positions are purely the affairs of political parties with the majority of seats in the Senate. The major contenders for the Majority leader’s seat include Opeyemi Bamidele (APC-Ekiti) and Mohammed Ndume (APC-Borno).
The duo was among the arrowheads of Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s campaign for the senate presidency. Ndume served as the director-general of Akpabio’s campaign committee, while Bamidele was the deputy.
Adamu Aliero (PDP-Kebbi) and Aminu Tambuwal (PDP-Sokoto) are contenders for the Minority leader seat.
However, from parliamentary tradition and precedence, delay in the election of principal officers will not stop the Senate from performing its duties.
Checks from the Rules and Business unit of the National Assembly showed that the President of the Senate and his deputy could continue to lead proceedings, including screening of and clearing of ministers, debate on motions as well as processing of bills pending the emergence of principal officers.
The PDP National Working Committee (NWC) met yesterday with Senators elected on its platform in a last-ditch attempt to forestall a showdown over the choice of persons for Minority leadership positions in the Senate. The meeting was held at the party’s National Secretariat, in Abuja.
Sources said 19 out of the party’s 36 Senators were in attendance with six others sending in apologies. Others were said to be away in Saudi Arabia where they had gone to perform the Muslim hajj.
“We also have intelligence that some individuals are trying to ride on their closeness to the Senate leadership to present an illegal list to be announced on the floor behind our back.”
In a statement released by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, the party said it was still consulting while warning the ruling APC to steer clear of the process leading up to the choice of leaders of the opposition in the Senate.
Accordingly, the main opposition party said it would write a letter to inform the Senate President that the consultations would continue until a unified decision is reached.
The statement reads in part: “At the meeting, the importance of a virile and stable opposition in the Senate and indeed the National Assembly was emphasised and the Caucus assured that it will play that important role in the defence of democracy, the interest and wellbeing of Nigerians.
“The PDP and Senators continue with consultations on the emergence of the Minority leadership in the Senate and are resolved to collectively present a unified leadership after due and conclusive considerations. Accordingly, the PDP will continue to provide the necessary leadership in this regard.
“Consequently, the meeting resolved that the PDP NWC communicates to the Senate President on the ongoing consultation in the Minority Caucus to the effect that the nominations into the Minority leadership positions has not been concluded and that upon conclusion, the nominated list will be formally conveyed to him appropriately for necessary action.”
