IT was a new twist to Nigeria’s democratic landscape since the return to civilian rule in 1999 with two different parties producing a President of the Senate and the Deputy President of the Senate.
While the ruling party and the one with majority, the All Progressives Congress, APC produced Senator Bukola Saraki as President of the Senate, Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP was elected the Deputy President of the Senate.
Women sit in a branded bus station as they support leading opposition All Progressives Congress presidential candidate Mohammadu Buhari during a rally christened ‘Walk for Change” in Lagos, on March 7, 2015 in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital. Presidential elections scheduled for February 14 were delayed for six weeks as the military said the ongoing counter-offensive against Islamists Boko Haram meant that troops could not provide security on polling day. Elections will take place on March 28, with gubernatorial and state house assembly polls two weeks later. AFP PHOTO
Members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives rejected the position of the ruling party on who should be the President of the Senate, the deputy, Speaker and the deputy. In what could be described as a replay of the 2011 political scenario when former Speaker, House of Representatives and governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, former Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives and the 2015 Imo State governorship candidate on the platform of PDP, Emeke Ihedioha revolted against the zoning formula of the Party and with the support of members and some major players in the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, they emerged as speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.
On Tuesday this week, the earlier position of APC to have Senator Ahmed Lawan and Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila as President of the Senate and Speaker, House of Representatives was jettisoned as both Saraki and Dogara defied the APC and contested for the positions. At the end of the day, candidates of the APC leadership lost as Senator Bukola Saraki from Kwara State, North Central emerged as Senate President with Senator Ike Ekweremadu from Enugu, South East retaining his position as Deputy Senate President even as a member of the opposition party.
Honourable Yakubu Dogara from Bauchi State, North East emerged as Speaker, House of Representatives while Honourable Yusuf Lasun Suleiman from Osun State, South West was elected Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives.
Notable leaders, Stakeholders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP who spoke to Saturday Vanguard on the development include former Minister of Defence and Acting Chairman of PDP Board of Trustees, BoT, Dr. Bello Haliru Mohammed; former National Chairman, Prince Vincent Ogbulafor; former PDP deputy National Chairman, Alhaji Shuaib Oyedokun; member BoT and former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope; member BoT and former Minister of Women Affairs, Iyom Josephine Anenih; former member, House of Representatives, Dr. Tunde Lakoju; National Vice Chairman, South South, Dr. Cairo Ojuigboh; Immediate past Special Adviser to former President Goodluck Jonathan and former National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Professor Rufai Ahmed Alkali and former Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Rowland Owie.
--Vanguard
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