President Muhammadu Buhari may no longer be disinterested in the election of the leaders of the 8th national assembly.
He has summoned an emergency meeting of all senators and house members elected on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The meeting will hold on Tuesday morning at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, starting from 9am, just before the federal lawmakers head for the national assembly complex to elect their leaders.
The notice of the meeting was communicated by Lai Mohammed, the party’s national publicity secretary, who said “all concerned must endeavour to attend”.
Advertisement
TheCable understands that the emergency meeting was in response to the surprise move by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which officially endorsed Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dongara for senate president and speaker respectively.
The APC leadership had held a straw poll at the weekend and picked Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila as the official candidates. Saraki and Dogara rejected the outcome of the poll.
However, with the PDP having a significant number of senators and house members, the division in APC may play to the advantage of Saraki and Dogara, who were members of the PDP before the crisis that engulfed the party before the 2015 elections.
Advertisement
“It has been difficult persuading Buhari to show more than a passing interest in the leadership of the national assembly,” a senator-elect told TheCable.
“But it is becoming very glaring to all that nature abhors vacuum. If PDP decides who becomes senate president as well as who is speaker, there is every chance that Buhari would have started on a wrong footing.”
At least 55 senators are needed to pick a senate president and 181 reps to pick the speaker. APC has 59 senators and PDP 49, while the new ruling party also has 182 reps and PDP 147.
Advertisement
2 comments
indeed change has come… this is a man that is flip/floping any how. Please buhari keep to one thing you’ve promised. its too early.
It is appropriate and necessary for President Buhari to step in at this present time. The ruling party will not for any reason concede the senate presidency to the opposition. The PDP bungled their opportunity and have brought Nigeria to its knees. They cannot be allowed to take it to ruin.
Saraki was of the PDP, yes. But he was one of few very decent senators in that party, who proved his mettle in many ways. The recent general elections have further demonstrated his tremendous political clout.But, if his decision to switch over to the APC was for the enhancement of our fledgeling democracy, let him please calm down now. He is from the North Central, yes. But he is Yoruba.It is not yet appropriate for two Yoruba men to occupy number 2 & 3 seats within the same period. The party could concede Senate Leader to him.
The North East has traditionally always been in the opposition. Let Senator Lawan take the seat.