Senators on the platform of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) have zoned the vacant position of Minorities Leader the North Central, it has been learnt.
This was discussed at a crucial closed door meeting of party caucus at the National Assembly Complex, Abuja.
The agenda of the meeting held in the office of Senator representing Kebbi South, Garba Musa Maidoki, was to seek replacement for the position of principal officers of the Senate like comprising the Minority Leader and Minority Whip.
The Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Simon Mwadkwon, was in October sacked by the Appeal Court.
The court had directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to, within 90 days, conduct a fresh election in the Plateau North Senatorial District that Mwadkwon represented on the platform of PDP.
In a similar vein, a Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, had also sacked the Minority Whip of the Senate, Senator Darlington Nwokocha.
Nwokocha who represented Abia Central under the platform of the Labour Party (LP) was on Wednesday replaced by Augustine Akobundu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in line with the ruling of the court.
At a closed door session on Wednesday, the PDP lawmakers resolved to zone the office of Minority Leader to the North Central geo- political zone.
The lawmakers who agreed to convey their position to other lawmakers in the other opposition parties in the Red Chamber are of the opinion that the region has been shut out in the power distribution in the country.
In attendance at the meeting were Senators Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Abdul Ningi, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Abba Morro, Aminu Dankwambo, Francis Fadahunsi, Osita Ngwu, Ned Nwoko and Adamu Aliero, among others.
Speaking with journalists after the closed door meeting, Senator Maidoki explained why the PDP senators settled for North Central.
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He said: “Everyone has agreed that the North Central should have that position for equity. Whether you are in PDP or APC, the Senate President is from the South South, the Deputy Senate President is from North West, the Senate Leader is from South West, the Chief Whip is from North East. So, the only zone where you do not have leadership position is North Central, after the ouster of the last Minority Leader.
“We have all agreed that the North Central should have it for equity. Even though the highest number of PDP senators are from North West, we are on the same page, we are unanimous, we have agreed and those who want the same position we have persuaded.
“This was just driven by equity for every zone. In any case, it is only a position of trust, he has only one vote when it comes to voting, the Senate President has only one vote.”
Senator Maidoki who explained that there would be no micro-zoning to any individual, said the President of the Senate was aware of the meeting of the PDP lawmakers.
“We don’t want to make the same mistake we made the last time, we refused to take a position on time and some people took the decision for us.
“Hence we had to hold this emergency meeting when we realised that a vacuum exist in the minority leadership, and in the past weeks, nothing had been done, so we had to move quickly.
“The Senate President was here this morning and we assured him that it was a PDP affair and we want to make sure we chose our leader who can contribute robustly to debates in the Senate. It’s not about change or overturning anyone, it’s about the leadership vacuum in the minority and we don’t want anyone to choose for us,” he said.