Why Senate Leader, Others Are Yet To Be Named

by Onyedi Ojiabor



THE ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is holding consultation with the its Senate caucus on modalities for the selection of the Majority Leader and other principal officers, it was learnt yesterday.

A top APC senator, who spoke on why the Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate have not been named, said “there is no need to worry.”

The senator, who is also a strong ally of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, said “by the time we return on July 2nd, our party must have taken a position on who becomes what in the two chambers.”

He said that with the election of presiding officers of the two chambers, “it is taken for granted that principal officers of the two chambers will be selected to work with the presiding officers.”

The source added that the presiding officers and the principal officers will constitute the Selection Committee that will pilot the affairs of the chambers.

According to the North West senator, “everything will take shape by the time we return because the need to consult and consult widely to reduce acrimony and bad blood is ongoing.”

He hinted that whoever will emerge as Senate leader, which he described as “the soul of the Senate” will be “a product of consensus as directed by the National Working Committee of our party (APC).”

The APC leadership, he said, “is on top of the situation” and “doing what it needs to do to reduce division among possible principal officers of the two chambers.”

He added: “There is nothing to worry about,” he noted that the party will not disappoint.

On whether some people have been penciled down for the positions, he said “the front liners for the Senate Leader slot are known.”

He listed Senator Abdullahi Adamu and Senator Alliyu Sabi Abdullahi as possible choices by the party.

He said: “It is a party affair and any body the party puts forward will emerge. The party is working to prevent rancor and acrimony. Only one person can be Senate leader.

“The party will also ensure spread in order to carry all party members along.”

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is also preparing to selects its principal officers’ in the House of Representatives.

The opposition party has concluded its selection in the Senate with Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) tipped as minority leader, Senator Emmanuel Bwuacha(Taraba South) deputy minority leader, Senator Philip Aduda (FCT) minority whip and Clifford Ordia (Edo Central) deputy minority whip.

The position in the House is not cleared yet.

Although it is being rumoured that PDP has settled for Kingsley Chinda, Nicholas Ossai appears not to have given up the struggle to upstage the Rivers State House member.