The choice over who emerges as the Senate President for the 8th National Assembly is at the moment threatening to tear the fabric of the APC into pieces. This is as 35 Senators-elect who are pro-Saraki has rejected the alleged adoption of Ahmed Lawan as a consensus candidate.
While addressing the media at Ibeto Hotel in Abuja, today, pro- Saraki Senators said that they have dissociated themselves from announcement in which Ahmed Lawan was announced as the consensus candidate.
According to Dino who addressed the media, he said; “Senators of the like mind are here today at the retreat organized by our dear Party All Progressives Congress, which is meant to equip and empower Senators-Elect of the 8th Assembly to prepare them toward 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 leadership of National Assembly is about the Senator that has the wherewithal to stabilize 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 and 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 jeopardize 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 8th Assembly. “We have also resolved that the office of the Deputy Senate President be zoned to the North East.” APC has 63 senators while PDP has 46.
However earlier before the dissociations from the Pro-Saraki senators, the unity group led by Barnabas Gemade, known as the Unity forum in at a press briefing said that they endorsed Lawan and Akume as their choices for senate president and deputy senate president respectively.
While reading their endorsement, Gemade 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 Ahmed Lawan as Senate President and Senator George Akume as the Deputy Senate President of the 8th Senate.
“Kindly take this to be our collective decision in the best interest of our party, APC and our dear nation, Nigeria”.
As it is, the Senators-elect of the All Progressives Congress, APC are in a fix on who should emerge as Senate President in the eighth Senate which is to be inaugurated in two weeks time.
