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Tag: Senate Presidency

  • Senate Presidency: Lawan, Akume join forces

    Senate Presidency: Lawan, Akume join forces

    •Saraki kicks, claims support of 35 APC Senators-elect

    The race for the Presidency of the 8th Senate yesterday narrowed   down to a straight fight between Alhaji Ahmed Lawan and Dr Bukola Saraki after Senator George Akume and his supporters teamed up with Lawan.

    Akume is understood to have agreed to take the Deputy Senate President ticket after consultations with his fellow senators and party leaders.

    But Saraki insisted yesterday that his bid remains on course, claiming to have the support of 35 of the 59 APC Senators.

    Consequently, APC Senators-elect are now in two camps, one backing each of the candidates.

    One is the Senate Unity Forum rooting for the Lawan/Akume joint ticket while the other – Like Mind Senators – is backing Saraki.

    Emerging from the APC Senators-elect retreat in Abuja yesterday, spokesman for the Unity Forum, Chief Barnabas Gemade, said Lawan and Akume supporters agreed to work together in the  “best interest of our party, APC and our dear nation.”

    “We, the Senate Unity Forum comprising Senators from various states and various zones of Nigeria have met, held extensive discussions and resolved to support Senator Ahmed Lawan as Senate President and Senator George Akume as the Deputy Senate President of the 8th Senate.”

    He did not say how many Senators are in the forum but said they are substantial.

    Senator- elect Dino Melaye spoke for the Saraki group.

    He said the Like Mind Senators would be picked from the Northeast from where Lawan hails.

    Melaye did not say who would be presented by the group as deputy Senate President although sources said it would be either Alhaji Mohammed Ali Ndume or Alhaji Danjuma Goje.

    Melaye displayed a letter which, according to him, would be delivered to the party leadership on their resolution to elect Saraki as Senate President.

    Though the group claimed to have the support of 35 APC senators- elect in its fold, our correspondents counted only 25 at the briefing.

    The Saraki group challenged those backing Lawan to display the signatures of Senators they claim to be supporting him.

    Melaye said:”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.

    “Leadership of the 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.”

    Saraki later took to the social media and tweeted:”I am grateful that 35 out of 59 APC Senator-elects “making majority” today endorsed my candidacy as Senate president.”

    He also said in a separate tweet: “The rumour going around about consensus candidate for the position of Senate President and Deputy Senate President is false.”

     

  • Senate Presidency: APC, PDP in game of wits

    Senate Presidency: APC, PDP in game of wits

    Following the intrigues surrounding the race for the Senate President, both Peoples Democratic Party (APC) and All Progressives Congress (APC) are treading cautiously, reports Assistant Editor, Dare Odufowokan

    As the battle for the position of the President of the next Senate rages on, indications emerged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be engaged in an intriguing game of wits regarding how the position would be filled.

    The Nation learnt that in spite of APC’s clear majority in the 8th Assembly, the PDP, which lost its right to the leadership of the Senate following its unimpressive performance in the March 28 National Assembly elections, is bent on having a say in who would direct the affairs of the hallowed chamber.

    Sources within the embattled party say the PDP is determined to slug it out with the majority APC in the struggle for the control of the senate by supporting a candidate other than the one favoured by the leadership of the APC.

    The APC got about 61 elected senators in the March 28 National Assembly elections, while the PDP only had 49 senators elected in the election. Consequently, PDP senators are shut out of the race for the coveted position as the rule clearly states that the Senate President must be produced by the majority party.

    But, determined to get even with the APC for influencing the emergence of Hon Aminu Tambuwal as the Speaker of the lower House against the directive of the leadership of the then majority party, in the outgoing dispensation, the PDP it was learnt, has finalised plans to throw its weight against the choice of the APC, should the majority party adopt one of the aspirants.

    “While we are not trying to produce a PDP Senator as Senate President, as we are very much conversant with the rules, what we are trying to do is to have a say in who becomes the Senate President. We have 49 Senators and that is a huge number should the APC field more than one candidate for the position.

    Just like they used their bloc minority votes to upstage the PDP’s choice and enthrone Tambuwal as the Speaker of the House of Representatives in 2011, we intend to use our minority bloc votes to upturn whatever zoning or any other arrangement the majority party may adopt in deciding who emerges as Senate President.

    Our plan is being helped by the multiple aspirants eying the position within the APC. What we are just waiting for is to know where the APC is heading. Once we know what they want to do, we will simply oppose it and support another aspirant. With our bloc votes, we are sure of upturning the directive of the APC leadership, whatever it is,’ a PDP Senator from Ekiti State told The Nation.

    Although the majority party never for once announced a zoning arrangement, following reports that the position may have been conceded to the North-Central, Senators Bukola Saraki from Kwara State, George Akume from Benue State and Adamu Abdullahi entered the race for the Senate Presidency and have been going round the country soliciting for support.

    But initial permutations that the race is a direct battle between Senators Bukola Saraki and George Akume was later eclipsed with the entry of Senator Ahmad Lawan from Yobe State. Lawan, a ranking Senator from the North-East state, pundits say, may have entered the race on the strength of his ability to garner votes across the two parties.

    And while the aspirants from the North-Central and their supporters continually urge the party to adopt the zoning principle and cede the Senate Presidency solely to the zone, Lawan and the people of the North-East are asking the party to consider the pitiable plight of the zone in recent years in deciding who gets what in the next dispensation.

    Recently, senators from the North-East insisted that for the sake of justice and fair play, the APC leadership should zone the Senate Presidency to the embattled zone which delivered the second highest number of votes to the party after the North-West.

    One of the senators who spoke to The Nation on condition of anonymity, argued that because the North -East region had been devastated as a result of the insurgency and has been the most marginalised in terms of infrastructural development, restricting the Senate seat to the North-Central when the North -East has a qualified candidate would be some sort of victimization to them.

    He explained further that the zone has never been given the opportunity to occupy the exalted seat since the Second Republic, adding that the North-Central has always been occupying the position.

    With these argument and counter arguments amongst APC Senators, the scenario, according to analysts, appear suitable for the political coup being planned by the defeated PDP and its senators.

    “The calculation of the PDP is that with several candidates emerging from the APC, the votes from the APC senators will be divided according to candidates they support, thereby reducing the number of votes for each candidate, while the candidate favoured by the PDP will clinch the votes of all its members in addition to some from the APC to emerge as the Senate President.

    Beyond settling scores with the APC over the emergence of Tambuwal in 2011, the plot is also expected to give the PDP a strong voice and presence in the Senate in the next dispensation. There are allegations that huge financial war-chest has already been deployed to facilitate this move and we are sure it will pay off.

    We are just waiting for APC to make the mistake of imposing a candidate on its senators. Then we will move in and alter the game. Should we succeed in influencing the Senate presidency contest, then it will be a good springboard for the party to bounce back to reckoning early. It will also sow the seed of disunity within the APC which as a new party may not be able to handle the effects of such development,” our source added.

    But the APC, perhaps aware of the plot by the PDP, seems to be approaching the contest for the Senate presidency cautiously. Its careful moves, pundits say, may be unsettling the PDP in its plot to influence the emergence of the next helmsman of the National Assembly.

    In a surprise move, the APC said it will not impose any candidate on its senators as Senate President. The National Chairman of the party, John Oyegun, stated this while clarifying the position of the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on the choice of the presiding officers of both chambers of the National Assembly.

    Oyegun said the party would merely guide the senators and the House of Representatives on where to choose their leaders from, but would not be involved in the process of deciding who becomes what. Buhari had earlier said he was ready to work with anybody who emerges as the Senate President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

    “What General Muhammadu Buhari said does not contradict our position on the zoning of the offices. What is certain is that members of the Senate and the House of Representations are the only ones who can choose their leaders.

    We are going to advise them on where they will choose their leaders for obvious reasons. Then, it is for them to choose their leaders. The party cannot name people for them, but for the sake of balancing, we will advise them on where they should choose their leaders,” Oyegun explained.

    Speaking on the PDP plot recently, former Interim National Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande, said the APC will throw open with the most popular candidates likely to emerge. He made this known in Lagos while speaking with newsmen, stressing that APC will not allow zoning to guide contest for elective offices in the National Assembly, specifically to avoid the opposition party, PDP taking undue advantage.

    Akande affirmed that the APC has not zoned the Senate presidency to any geo-political zone, urging senators-elect and other stakeholders to beware of speculations to that effect. He said rather, the APC will recourse to an in-house measure to resolve the issues about contest for National Assembly offices without creating room for animosity, which according to him, the PDP could eventually exploit.

    “We don’t want those who will trade off the principal offices to the opposition. The principal officers could be sold out unwittingly to the opposition. So, we want to be very careful and we want to manage those who are interested. So, we don’t talk about zoning in our party. It was raised, but people rejected it,” Akande said.

  • Senate presidency: Suswam mobilises support for Akume

    Senate presidency: Suswam mobilises support for Akume

    Benue state governor, Gabriel Suswam, has publicly declared support for the ambition of Senate Minority leader, George Akume, to preside over the eighth senate.

    He spoke at a meeting of Benue state Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stakeholders at the party’s secretariat on New Makurdi road, Makurdi.

    PDP leaders in the state were led by its chairman, Dr Emmanuel Agbo and his deputies from the three senatorial zones.  The governor promised to deploy all hid goodwill and networks across the nation to canvass support for Akume.

    Akume, he stated, has served meritoriously as Minority Leader and will serve the Senate well if elected to the exalted position.

    It is believed that Suswam’s support for Akume might swing votes in his favour.

    Suswam is a member of the influential Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) with five members as senators-elect.

    They include Aliyu Wammako(Sokoto); Theodore Orji(Abia);  Godswill Akpabio(Akwa Ibom);  Jonah Jang(Plateau) and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano).

    Also, Suswam was in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2007.

    Many of his colleagues have since graduated to the Senate.

    Some of them include: Binta Garba (Adamawa North); Uche Ekwunife (Anambra Central); John Eboh (Cross River Central); Fatima Raji-Rasaki (Ekiti Central);  Philip Aduda (FCT); Nazif Suleiman (Bauchi) and Bala Ibn Na’Allah (Kebbi South).

    Others are: Olusola Adeyeye (Osun Central); Gilbert Nnamdi (Enugu); Buhari Abdul Fatai (Oyo North); Olaka Nwogu (Rivers South East); Usman Nafada (Gombe); Ali Ndume (Borno) and Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba South).

    It is believed that if he succeeds in influencing these senators-elect, Akume might clinch the presidency.

     

  • Ilorin emirate backs Saraki for Senate presidency

    Ilorin emirate backs Saraki for Senate presidency

    A socio-cultural organisation known as Ilorin Emirate Descendants Progressive Union (IEDPU) yesterday urged political leaders and groups in the country to consider Senator Bukola Saraki for the seat of Senate President.

    IEDPU said its support for Senator Saraki was not borne out of any ulterior political motive but on the former governor’s antecedents.

    Addressing reporters in Ilorin, President of IEDPU, Alhaji Abdulhamid Adi said that Kwara and Kogi state have not been opportune to occupy the exalted position.

    Alhaji Adi added that: “We are therefore deeply concerned that within Northern political arrangement to which Ilorin Emirate squarely belongs with all commitment and loyalty, the area is continuously being marginalized for unspecified reasons.

    “The present North Central Zone comprises the old Kwara, old Benue Plateau and part of old North Western state (within the old 12 state structure). While the old Benue Plateau has produced the longest serving head of state, three senate presidents including the incumbent, the small part of old North-Western state (now Niger) has produced two heads of state, it is only Kwara state which makes up Kwara and Kogi that has not been fortunate.

    “For the purpose of clarity, our support for Senator Saraki is not politically sponsored but borne out of our conviction that he is eminently qualified and can serve the nation creditably well. Such support will always be extended to any other indigene of the emirate in similar circumstances irrespective of political affiliation.

    “This is our honest position and we therefore call on all and sundry to support this stand in the interest of national cohesion.”

    IEDPU president added that the senator is noted for fairness, equity and adherence to principle in political offices.

    Reeling out the former governor’s qualities, Alhaji Adi said “he successfully governed his heterogeneous state for eight years during which he performed creditably well as chairman of governors’ forum. Indeed, it was due to his administrative sagacity and political dexterity that the novel body became glamorous, enviable to the extent that its chairmanship has become competitive.

    “The former governor of the state like his father, is a bridge builder, highly detribalized and a listening politician. On different occasions, the union has had cause to disagree with government policies at the state level and the gentleman had regularly shown understanding and maturity in handling such matters.”

     

  • Campaign for Senate Presidency disrupts proceedings

    Heightened campaign by senators for various positions in the Eight National Assembly yesterday disrupted Senate proceedings.

    Those aspiring for positions, especially the office of the Senate President, and their supporters took their campaign to the floor of the upper chamber to the amazement of the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided.

    Office seekers were observed dashing from one seat to another in their bid to lobby their colleagues to back them.

    The open campaign became almost embarrassing as the clause-by-clause consideration of the National Tobacco  Control Bill was going on.

    The consideration of the Bill had to be temporarily suspended for the presiding officer to address the near rowdy session.

    Senator Chris Ngige (Anambra Central), who was speaking on the Tobacco Control Bill, was the first to raise the alarm that he was being distracted by those campaigning for the Office of the Senate President.

    Ngige said: “Mr. President, please could you tell all these campaign co-ordinators to allow us treat this Bill. They are disrupting the chamber and we are not allowed to give the Bill the utmost attention it deserved.”

    Following Ngige’s observation, Ekweremadu was forced to call those involved to order.

    Ekweremadu said: “All campaigns for Senate Presidency are hereby suspended until the end of proceedings. Dear colleagues, please take note.”

    The Deputy Senate President’s order did not quite help matter as the supporters of the principal actors persisted in their push to gain some mileage against their opponents.

    The same scenario was enacted last week during the induction of new senators and members of the House of Representatives.

    Front-runners in the race for the office of the Senate President are Chairman, Senate Committee on Public Account, Senator Ahmed Lawan, Minority Leader Senator George Akume and Chairman, Senate Committee on Environment Senator Bukola Saraki.

    Observers said that the open campaigns in the Senate chamber could introduce some element of desperation by aspirants.

    Already, various caucuses have been formed by senators to push the aspiration of their preferred candidate.

     

  • Senate Presidency: Numbers adding up for Lawan

    The framers of our constitution, like most others similar documents, made the legislative arm the numero uno; that is, first in rank, order or prestige. And to many a Nigerian politician, the responsibilities and charm of the Office of the Senate President, epitomise the height of triumph at election into the upper chamber for whoever emerges as the occupier of the office.

    In addition, political analysts contend that the fierce contest for who becomes first amongst equals in the red chamber as currently the case in Nigeria is because as a matter of fact of law, whosoever becomes the number three citizen, aside from being the senate president, is also the chairman of the National Assembly.

    It is against this backdrop that political watchers are not surprised a bit that the All Progressives Congress, APC has not been able to make a definitive pronouncement on which of the four geo-political zones of North-East, North-Central, South-East and South-South will produce the Senate President after the North-West and the South-West had produced the President-Elect and the Vice President-Elect respectively.

    Although, if what a chieftain of the winning party is anything to go by, the North-East geo-political zone appears the favourite. According to him “if democracy, nay election, is all about numbers, then the North-East, which garnered the second largest vote in the last election after North-West should have the Senate Presidency, assuring that in a matter of days, the party hierarchy will formally make its decision on the issue public to the relief of people in the North-East and contestants from the zone that are in the race for the office.

    Political observers are of the opinion that aside from the large number of votes the APC got from the North-East geo-political zone, all the 109 senators-elect should not forget that the best that area of the country has had at the national level under a civilian regime, was the Prime Minister portfolio in the first republic: It has never produced a senate president.

    As agitation from people in the zone for the senate presidency is going on, so also campaigns by contestants who want to become senate president. As at last count, only two contestants from the zone have mounted serious campaigns. They are Senator Ahmad Ibrahim Lawal from Yobe State and Senator Ali Ndume from Borno State.  Two other contestants from the geo-political zone of North-Central are eyeing the office, apparently hoping the post will be zoned to their area.

    From their various campaign methodologies thus far, political watchers have characterised Lawan as a marathon runner while Ndume is regarded as short distance runner. According to them, Ndume, like Seantor Danjuma Goje from Gombe will not match Lawan, who has constructed solid political bridge across the nation since being a parliamentarian at the inception of democracy in 1999.

    And the political predication that Lawan will ultimately emerge victorious in the race began its manifestation, when “a charity begins at home” press statement, announced that Yobe State caucus of National Assembly has endorsed him as Senate President. It was issued against the background of a campaign of calumny. The Press Statement added: “We therefore call on all North Eastern government and National Assembly caucuses to support this move as well as other geo-political zones of Nigeria”. The government and people of Yobe State have also thrown their weight behind the senator.

    As if responding to the clarion call made by Yobe State caucus, all senators-elect from the North-West zone, in a block endorsement, declared that Lawan has what it takes to lead the National Assembly.

    The South-West APC caucus after over 6 hour meeting in Abuja has also endorsed Lawan with 12 out of 13 APC senators-elect resolving to have him as the Senate President. The only absentee from the meeting was unavoidably absent and his vote was assured the frontline contestant. The APC senators-elect from the zone further assured Lawan that they would convince their distinguished PDP colleagues in the zone to also vote for him. Political watchers have described the endorsement by the South-West senators-elect as “an eloquent testimony to obvious acceptance of Senator Lawan by the party leaders from the zone before now. Although officially the senate presidency has not been zoned to North-East, political observers said the body language of APC leaders at the national level indicate that Lawan is their man for the senate president.

    The in-road made by Lawan into the South-East caucus of senators-elect, according to political analysts, show the need for Nigerian politician who wishes to play any role at the national level to be a bridge builder like the contestant. While all the senators-elect from the zone emerged on the platform of PDP, the political “handshake” that Lawan always extend to all including his “ranking” colleagues from the zone, according to insiders, soften the ground for him before his recent meeting with the caucus. At the end of the meeting, Lawan was assured of the zone’s bulk endorsement, which a PDP chieftain at the meeting, was reported to have said would be announced in due course.

    Analysts are of the opinion that since APC senators-elect from Yobe State, his primary constituency, the North-West and South-West have endorsed Senator Lawan, “it is the custom in parliamentary practice to take cognisance of what has happened in other zones, especially in a contest of this nature and this could not have been lost to the South-East caucus in their deliberations on the contestant”.

    Advancing reason for the successes being recorded by the campaign team of Lawan in the South-East and South-South caucuses, a PDP insider said “It is payback time: Lawan has been a pillar of support for the out-going leadership in the Senate and nobody should be surprised if they had decided to campaign for him in South-East and I can tell you with all certainty that our distinguished PDP colleagues in the South-South caucus are ready to back us in making Senator Lawan our Senate President”

    Political pundits have contended that it is certain that the South-South senators-elect will also go the way of the South-East in giving their votes to Ahmad Lawan

    For the North-Central, Political analysts said while senators-elect from Kwara State are in support of Saraki “for obvious reason” the zone at the moment “is divided due to the in-road made by Lawan as some senators-elect from states of Niger, Kogi and Plateau are in full support of Senator Lawan’s candidature”.  Political foot soldiers are of the opinion that once the zoning arrangement is formally announced and North-East clinches the Senate presidency, North Central will go the way of Lawan as another contestant from the zone in person of Senator George Akume will also drop off from the race.

    Dismissing the likelihood of the Tambuwal episode playing out on the red carpeted floor come June 4, political analysts said such would not be allowed by APC national chieftains who are toiling day and night to solidify the foundation of a solid party system already in place at the national level.

    ‘The in-road made by Lawan into the South-East caucus of senators-elect, according to political analysts, show the need for Nigerian politician who wishes to play any role at the national level to be a bridge builder like the contestant’

     

    • Adebamiro, a political analyst lives in Kubwa, Abuja. 

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Senate Presidency: Mark loyalists back Lawan as Ekweremadu forms alliance with Saraki

    Senate Presidency: Mark loyalists back Lawan as Ekweremadu forms alliance with Saraki

    The jostle for Senate Presidency heightened yesterday with many  loyalists of the outgoing Senate President David Mark backing the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ahmad Lawan.

    Also, there were indications that Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu might form an alliance with Senator Bukola Saraki also a strong contender in the race.

    The alliance according to sources, is to support Saraki for Senate President with Ekweremadu retaining his seat on the condition that he will deliver the PDP Senate Caucus votes for the ex-Kwara State governor.

    The Presidency is however having reservations on the “romance” between Ekweremadu and Saraki.

    Investigation by our correspondent revealed that some loyalists of the President of the Senate met secretly at the weekend and opted to work for the emergence of Lawan as the head of the eighth Senate.

    It was learnt that at the session in Abuja, Mark’s loyalists said Lawan will ensure what they termed “continuity of the legacies of the outgoing Senate President than any other aspirants.

    A high-ranking Senator, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “We (loyalists of Mark) met for about three hours and after exhaustive deliberations, we have opted for Lawan for a “seamless transition and continuity of the legacies of the outgoing Senate President.

    “We looked at the three candidates and we discovered that Lawan has an edge in all the criteria we spelt out.

    “So, most of us in PDP might vote for Lawan whose loyalty, humility and ability to the system cannot be doubted at any time. Lawan is not perfect, we realised that with the onerous responsibility  of the Senate Presidency, he can overcome any leadership challenge.”

    The source added: “If you look at the emerging politics,  it was the North -West that first endorsed Lawan. This is a signal that the President-elect might be disposed to the North-East producing the next President of the Senate.

    “When leaders, like Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Rauf Aregbesola, Ibrahim Gaidam, Abiola Ajimobi, ex-governors Sani Yerima, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, and others are queuing behind Lawan, there must be some merit in the aspirant.

    But Saraki camp is giving Lawan a hard fight following a fresh alliance bewteen the Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu and Saraki.

    A reliable source added: “Ekweremadu and Saraki have held talks. From preliminary discussions, the Deputy President of the Senate may part ways with Mark on the choice of the President of the eighth Senate.

    “The Saraki camp has offered to retain Ekweremadu as the Deputy President of the Senate if he can deliver the block votes of PDP to the ex-governor.

    “The latest alliance may be a replica of the politics of how the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and his deputy, Emeka Ihedioha became the leaders of the House in June 2011.

    “One of the reasons Ekweremadu is tagging along with Saraki is to protect the South-East from being schemed out of power in the new government.

    “Ekweremadu believed the Igbo must not play second fiddle despite the fact that they did not vote for APC. Saraki relies on this bait to woo Ekweremadu to his side.

    “Another factor goading Ekweremadu into an alliance with Saraki is that if the former governor becomes the Senate President, the PDP may have a pedestal to start its revival agenda.”

    A government source said: “The presidency has some reservations about the understanding or alliance between Ekweremadu and Saraki  more so when the former had been saddled with a responsibility of managing Post-Election Review Committee of the PDP.

    A close ally of Ekweremadu said: “All I am aware of is that both Lawan and Saraki have had talks with Ekweremadu. If the Deputy President of the Senate is working out an alliance with Saraki, I will have to find out.”

  • Senate Presidency: Lawan gets backing of North-West, South-West, North-East

    Senate Presidency: Lawan gets backing of North-West, South-West, North-East

    •Faces main opposition from Saraki, Akume

    There were strong indications last night that the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Alhaji Ahmad Lawan, can now bank on the support of three geopolitical zones in his bid to preside over the affairs of the Eighth Senate.

    It was also learnt yesterday that ex-Governor Bukola Saraki has emerged as the main rival to Lawan.

    Ex-Governor George Akume is also very much in the race.

    But the President of the Senate, Chief David Mark, and the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) Senators mostly from the South-East, South-South and North-Central may break the tie between the two leading candidates -Lawan and Saraki -both of whom are now directing their campaign at Southeast and the Southsouth caucuses.

    Investigation revealed that Lawan has been endorsed by 12 Senators from the South-West, 20 from the North-East and about 18 from the North-West.

    It was gathered that the support for Lawan is being driven by political heavyweights in Yobe State, especially ex-Governor Bukar Abba Ibrahim and Governor Ibrahim Gaidam.

    Apart from reaching out to North-East leaders, Bukar and Gaidam have started intense lobbying of North-West and South-West leaders within and beyond the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    A reliable source said: “Our leaders in the North-East have rallied round Sen. Ahmad Lawan for the Senate Presidency. As a matter of fact, we prefer to lead the Senate than the House of Representatives because of enhanced political leverage.

    “So far, we have secured the backing of a sizable number of Senators from the North-East, North-West and South-West for Ahmad Lawan.

    “In fact, North-East leaders are already opening up talks with heavyweights like all the governors and political leaders in the North-East, North-West and South-West.

    “We are hopeful that Lawan may emerge the President of the eighth Senate.”

    On his part, Sen. Bukar Abba Ibrahim said Lawan is eminently qualified for the office.

    Ibrahim, who heads the Senate Housing Committee, said Lawan’s endorsement was made on behalf of the people and government of Yobe State.

    He added: “Lawan possesses the required qualities, character and the frame of mind to make a qualitative Senate President. He is energetic, hardworking and possessing progressive values.

    Gaidam, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Press Affairs and Information, Abdullahi Bego, urged “all senators-elect to consider Senator Lawan’s experience, his goodwill, capacity and reach and, therefore, support him to be the next President of the Senate.”

    It was also gathered that the President of the Senate, Chief David Mark and the PDP Senators mostly from the South-East, South-South and North-Central may break the tie between the two leading candidates (Lawan and Saraki).

    A highly-placed source in the PDP Caucus said: “I do not think we will be bound by the zoning arrangement of APC. Instead, we will vote on our Inauguration day according to our conscience, what is good for democracy and the directive of our party.

    “We are certainly weighing options. You see, some of those aspiring for positions in the Senate and in the House of Representatives defected from our party to APC.

    “Their defection eventually led to the defeat of PDP. To some of us, it is pay-back time. We may not allow these people to have their cake and eat it.

    “A negligible few among us however feel that if a defector from PDP to APC becomes the Senate President, we will be recovering our mandate gradually ahead of 2019.

    “So, either way, all these aspirants in the National Assembly need us and we will play a “strategic role.”

    Another source added: “Lawan is more or less a favourite of the President of the Senate, Chief David Mark.

    “So, you can see that even Lawan’s candidacy might gain some weight in the PDP Caucus in the Senate if Mark endorses his anointed “favourite” whom he saddled with Public Accounts Committee. Mark will prefer to serve under Lawan in the Senate than Saraki.

    “There is no hiding place for Mark. He will be interested in his successor having built some legacies including the preservation of the maturity and unity of the Senate.”

    In spite of the support base for Lawan, ex-Governor Bukola Saraki is still reaching out to political leaders and Emirs in the North on why the North-Central should retain the Senate Presidency slot.

    To pacify the North-East, it was learnt that Saraki’s camp is considering the option of producing the Speaker of the House of Representatives from the zone.

    A Senator-elect said: “I think the race is a straightforward one between Lawan and Saraki. The two candidates have dominated lobbying sessions in the last one and a half weeks.

    “Most leaders from the North seem to prefer Lawan because of 2019 factor. Realising that the North-East cannot be shoved aside, the Saraki camp is pushing for the concession of House Speakership to the zone. This is why Representative Yakubu Dogara’s name is coming up.

    “Saraki is trying to use his Senate heritage (since his father was a former Senate Leader), political connections in the North, and leverage as a former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF).

    “Therefore, Saraki is no push over. Saraki has only two obstacles. These are his rich Yoruba heritage, which will not make the core north to accept his presidency as really a slot for the North-Central.

     

    “This same factor denied the late Senate Leader, Dr. Olusola Saraki the presidential ticket in 1978. It was the same reason the late Chief S.B. Awoniyi could not be either the National Chairman of PDP or a presidential candidate. This is the dilemma facing Yoruba in the North.

    “And if Saraki says he is a pure Fulani, most Senators will remind him that the President-elect is also a Fulani too. In the spirit of Federal Character, a Fulani cannot be president and be the President of the Senate.

    “Some governors are however flaunting the cosmopolitan credentials of Saraki to seek the Senate Presidency for him.”

  • ‘Zone Senate presidency to Northeast to end insurgency’

    The Kaduna State chapter of a group of stakeholders in the Northeast, under the aegis of Northeast Zone People’s Forum, has said the zoning of Senate Presidency to the area is inevitable.

    Addressing reporters at the weekend in Kaduna, the forum’s President Ibrahim Babashani said unbiased and equitable sharing of national political offices is among the solutions to end insurgency in the area.

    Babashani noted that if some national political positions could be zoned to the Northeast, there would be more political will and commitment among appointees to join forces to end insurgency.

    The group’s leader urged political actors to zone the Senate presidency to the Northeast, adding that it would solve crisis in the region.

    He said: “We need a leader at the national level, who can stand firmly and speak for the wellbeing of our people and the country. This is because the people of the Northeast have suffered undue neglect over the years. Our people have been killed by insurgents. We can no longer bear this under the coming administration of Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

    “…The forum wishes to make a passionate appeal to the leadership of APC to concede the zoning arrangement to the Northeast…”

  • Senate Presidency: Northeast Senators disown Lawan

    A major crack may have emerged in the bid of the Northeast geopolitical zone to secure the Senate President seat in soon to be inaugurated 8th National Assembly.

    At least 12 Senators from the zone on Friday disowned Senator Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North), believed to be one of the front runners in the race for the Senate’s top job.

    Leader of the Northeast All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators’ Caucus, Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) who briefed reporters in Abuja, insisted that the group  has not pick any candidate for the position yet since it has not been formally zoned to area by the national leadership of the party.

    Members of the Caucus present at the press conference are – Goje, Isa Ahmed Gusau (Bauchi Central), Ali Ndume (Borno South), Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe Central) and Abdulaziz Murtala Nyako (Adamawa Central).

    Others are – Senators-elect Binta Garba Marshi (Adamawa North), Ahmed Abubakar (Adamawa South), Usman Bayero Nafada (Gombe North), Abubakar Jare (Borno North) and Suleiman Nazif (Bauchi North).

    Senator Ahmad Zannah (Borno Central) was said to be indisposed.

    Goje, who spoke on behalf of the Caucus, said no zone will be allowed to impose any candidate on them.

    According to him, the Caucus is still pleading with the leadership of the APC to officially zone the position to the zone in view of their “peculiar circumstances.”

    The former Governor of Gombe State explained that whoever emerges as consensus candidate after the position has been zoned to the area will be decided by lawmakers from the zone.

    It could be recalled that the Northwest Senate caucus of the APC had on Thursday reportedly endorsed the candidature of Senator Lawan for the position of Senate President.

    The Northwest boasts of 21 Senators out of the 109-member Senate.

    Of the 21 Senators from the zone, 17 were said to have expressly adopted Lawan for the number one seat in the Senate.