The Jostle for the Senate Minority Leadership

The jostle for the Senate Minority Leadership seat appears to be creating uneasy calm among senators who are members of the opposition parties following moves by some vested interests to impose leadership on them.

Speculations that no fewer than 22 Senators from the APC are planning to defect to the PDP are potentially causing a significant shift in the Senate. According to a media report, if this happens, the PDP, as the main opposition party, would become the majority in the red chamber, with an increase in their seats to 58 and a decrease in the APC’S seats to 37

An unnamed source mentioned plans to challenge the outcome of Godswill Akpabio’s election as Senate President, alleging manipulation and compromise of the ballot papers.

Recall that the 10th senate distribution is as follows:  APC 59 senators; PDP, 36; LP, 8; SDP, 2; NNPP, 2; YPP, 1; and APGA 1 and positions of minority leadership are Minority leader, Deputy minority leader, Minority whip and Deputy whip

Reports also speculate that in a move to get his allies into minority leadership positions in the red chamber, the immediate past Governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, met Senate President, Godswill Akpabio on Thursday. The former Rivers State Governor is said to have pushed his associate, Kingsley Chinda, as Minority leader in the House of Representatives, though he is yet to be confirmed. Presently, the PDP which has the highest minority seats with 36 senators vowed to resist any plot by the ruling APC or other interested groups to foist a Minority leadership on the Senate and also, lawmakers from the opposition caucus said “what is paramount for us as a party is to have a minority leadership that will ensure a robust opposition in the senate and in the general interest of Nigerians. “We are going to focus on ensuring that the democratic tenets and practices of checks and balances and the principles of separation of powers. We are in touch with our people and their statement is in tune with our position as a party, we are having conversations with them and at the end of the day what you are going to get is our position in having a firm and robust opposition in the national assembly. “We will ensure the principle of checks and balances,” PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba.

Also, opposition senators have vowed to resist any attempt to foist “compromised leadership” on them by forces within and outside the National Assembly. The lawmakers, in a joint statement said the minority caucus would select its leaders after consultation with their respective political parties without undue interference from anti-democratic forces. They emphasized that no senator has yet been endorsed or selected for any minority position. The statement reads “for the avoidance of doubt, no senator has yet been endorsed or selected for any minority position as this would await due process as agreed by all minority parties in their last meeting. “Attempts to foist a one-party dictatorship would be resisted and would fail. “We call on all members of the minority political parties to work together in unity to defend the democratic institution of the senate and Nigeria.” opposition joint statement

The People’s Democratic Party and its standard bearer in the last election, Atiku Abubakar is on a collision course with the G-5 over the Minority Leadership in the National Assembly, particularly the Senate.  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 G-5 was pushing for Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe (Cross River North) for the same position. On resumption of the plenary on July 4, the Senate President is expected to read the letter from the parties announcing their nominations for the minority leadership positions