The last may not have been heard of the power struggle between the peoples Presidential flag bearer in the 2023 election,Atiku Abubakar and the former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike over who becomes the minority leader in the senate.
While the former Governor of Rivers, Nyesom Wike had his way in the House of Representatives with his candidate Rep. Kingsley Chinda who happens to be liked by majority of the lawmakers emerged without crisis, the senate appear to be having a difficult race with the former Governor of Rivers in the picture.
Sources confirmed to Africangazette News that the PDP
and Atiku had declared support for the ex-governor of Sokoto, Aminu Tambuwal (PDP, Sokoto South) for the minority leadership seat but the leader of the G-5 Governor Wike was pushing for Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe (Cross River North ) for the same position.
the G-5 Governors included Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, former governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers); ex-Governor Samuel Ortom of Benue; his colleague in Enugu State, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi and Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia)) had been at loggerheads with the party’s presidential flag bearer since his emergence in the 2023 elections.
While Makinde is still in office for his second and final term, the other members of the G-5 have concluded their eight-year tenure.
the relevant laws and rules of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, aside from the two presiding officer positions, eight principal positions are also to be occupied by elected lawmakers on the platforms of both the ruling and minority political parties.
However upon resumption on July 4, the Senate President is expected to read the letter from the parties announcing their nominations for the minority leadership positions.
Recall that in 2019, the House of Representatives encountered similar drama on the floor when the then speaker of the House Femi Gbajabiamila now chief of staff to president Bola Tinubu refused to toe the party’s nomination of Rep. Kingsley Chinda but rather announced Ndudi Elumelu as the Minority leader with the PDP kicking against it.
Many fear this may repeat itself on the floor of the senate with the G-5 Governors wading in to disrupt the PDPs candidate.
Both the majority and minority caucuses of the National Assembly are expected to appoint their leaders. But will that stand?
But the jostle for the Senate minority leadership position appears to be generating tension among the opposition senators following moves by some vested interests to impose a candidate.
A lawmaker who spoke on anonymity said the former vice president Atiku was behind the candidature of the former Sokoto state Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal while the leader of the G5 governors Nyesom Wike is behind senator Jarigbe Jarigbe of the PDP.
A senator said “Wike is also a force to reckon with having helped APC to win the presidential election in Rivers State in February and supported the election of the presiding officers of the 10th National Assembly, his next agenda is enthroning his loyalist as a principal officer, particularly minority leader
July 4 is the resumption date as many await to see the drama that will play out on the floor of the senate.
Be the first to comment