a consensus candidate for the leadership of the Senate at a retreat
organised for Senators-elect in Abuja was frustrated on Saturday as
two factions emerged from the camp, endorsing two separate candidates.
The PUNCH reports.
The party leadership had planned to conduct a primary election for the
59 senators elected on the ticket of the party in order to produce a
consensus candidate that would emerge as the next Senate President
during the inauguration of the eighth National Assembly in June.
However, few hours into the retreat, a group, which identified itself
as Senate Unity Forum, walked out of the event and addressed a news
conference where they declared that they had resolved to support the
joint ticket of Senators Ahmad Lawan and George Akume for the Senate
top posts.
They circulated a resolution signed by Lawan (Yobe North), Akume
(Benue North West) and the group's spokesperson, Senator Barnabas
Gemade, (Benue North East) wherein the senators-elect explained that
their decision was in the best interest of the party and Nigeria.
The group, which did not disclose its membership strength said, "We,
the Senate Unity Forum comprising senators-elect from various states
and various zones of Nigeria, have met, held extensive discussions and
resolved to support Senator Ahmad Lawan as Senate President and
Senator George Akume, as the Deputy Senate President of the eighth
Senate."
But some hours later, no fewer than 24 senators-elect, under the aegis
of, "The Like-minds," filed out of the retreat and announced that 35
members of the group had adopted Saraki (Kwara Central) as their next
Senate President.
They also said each of the 35 members of the group, had signed a
document which indicated their commitment to Saraki and had followed
it up by jointly signing a letter, which they would present to the
National Chairman of the party, Mr. John Odigie-Oyegun.
The Senators, in their resolution, read by Dino Melaye (Kogi West)
noted: "Senators of 'The Like-minds' are here today at the retreat
organised by our dear party, All Progressive Congress, which is meant
to equip and empower senators-elect of the eighth Assembly to prepare
them for the challenges ahead.
"We commend the leadership of our party for this timely and
well-focused exercise. The issue of National Assembly leadership is
about integrity, competence, discipline and leadership skills and not
about fixing of candidates just for mere horse-trading.
"Our stand is about electing a senator who eventually becomes the
chairman of National Assembly and relates with the executive on behalf
of Nigerians, fellow senators and the National Assembly as an
institution.
"Furthermore, the leadership of National Assembly is about the senator
that has the wherewithal to stabilise the legislative institution,
working with the executive and judicial arm of government to be
effective and perform to their optimal capacity.
"In addition, we are aware of the fact that all senators from the
North Central zone have taken a firm position that they are only
interested in the office of the Senate President which has been
earlier zoned by the National Working Committee of our party to the
zone.
"We are also aware that North Central senators have resolved to abide
by the resolution of the zone on a single candidate and anything short
of this is an attempt to jeopardise the collective interest of the
zone.
"Of the 59 senators of the APC, 35 of us present here today hereby
reaffirm our collective commitment and resolution to ensure that the
candidature of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the Senate President
of eighth Assembly.
We have also resolved that the office of the Deputy Senate President
be zoned to the North East."
PUNCH correspondent observed that the South-West APC senators-elect,
except Tayo Alasoadura, were conspicuously absent at the briefing,
while members of the Like-minds senators who were present, cut across
the North-Central, North-West, and the North-East geopolitical zones.
The latest development has therefore pruned down the numbers of
aspirants contesting the senate presidency from four to two because
while Akume had accepted to be Lawan's deputy, Ali Ndume (Borno
South), was among the senators that endorsed Saraki on Saturday.
—PUNCH
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