The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has advised Senate President Godswill Akpabio against releasing a phoney list of minority leaders when the 10th National Assembly reconvenes today after a two-week break, claiming that it is still consulting and has not yet taken a position on the matter.
The party’s National Working Committee, NWC, yesterday, met with PDP senators to avert what they described as incursions of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, into its fold to determine those who will emerge as Senate Minority Leader.
This is coming as tension rose following the battle for the Senate Majority Leader with some Northern Senators insisting that the North should produce the majority leader.
Also, there is intense lobbying among senators for the headship of nine special, and 63 standing committees.
In the House of Representatives, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas barring changes is expected to announce Professor Julius Ihonvhere, Kingsley Chinda, George Ozodinobi, Ali Madaki and Usman Kumo among others as principal officers.
The Principal office positions for the ruling APC are the Majority leader; Chief Whip; Deputy Leader; and deputy Whip while the opposition parties have the Minority Leader; Minority Whip; Deputy Minority Leader and Deputy Minority Whip.
PDP NWC, Senators meet, resolve to present a common front
The PDP NWC met with Senators elected on its platform in a last-ditch attempt to forestall a showdown over the choice of persons for minority leadership positions in the Senate. The meeting was held at the party’s National Secretariat, on Monday.
Sources said that 19 of the party’s 36 senators were in attendance with six others sending in apologies.
Others were said to be in Saudi Arabia where they had gone to perform the Muslim ritual of hajj.
It was gathered that party leaders who were mindful of conflicting interests among its ranks waded in and urged the lawmakers to forge a common front in order to ward off incursions from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
A top PDP source said: “We are still talking to ourselves because we need to carry our fellow minority parties along. We are in majority but we can be out-maneuvered if we are not united.
“We also have intelligence that some individuals are trying to ride on their closeness to the Senate leadership to present an illegal list to be announced on the floor behind our back.”
In a terse statement released by PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Debo Ologunagba, the party said it was still consulting while warning the ruling APC to steer clear of the process leading up to the choice of leaders of the opposition in the Senate.
Ologunagba said: “The National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party today, Monday, July 3, 2023 met with members of the PDP Caucus in the Senate. At the meeting, the importance of a virile and stable opposition in the Senate and indeed the National Assembly was emphasized and the Caucus assured that it will play that important role in the defense of democracy, the interest and wellbeing of Nigerians.
“The meeting condemned in its entirety the alleged subterranean moves by the All Progressives Congress to meddle with the affairs of the Minority with regards to the emergence of the Minority Leadership which is an exclusive reserve of the Minority Caucus as expressly stipulated by Constitutional provisions and Standing Rules of the Senate.
“The PDP and the Senators will continue with consultations on the emergence of the Minority Leadership in the Senate and are resolved to collectively present a unified leadership after due and conclusive considerations. Accordingly, the PDP will continue to provide the necessary leadership in this regard.
“Consequently, the meeting resolved that the PDP NWC communicates to the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, on the on-going consultation in the Minority Caucus to the effect that the nominations into the Minority leadership positions in the Senate has not been concluded and that upon conclusion, the nominated list will be formally conveyed to him appropriately for necessary action.”
Some of the Senators in attendance included: Abba Moro, Aminu Tambuwal and Abdul Ningi.
Battle for principal offices in Senate
Vanguard gathered that the immediate past Chief Whip of the Senate, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, APC, Abia North may retain his position as Chief Whip of the Senate while the Deputy Senate Leader may cede to the North -Central geo- political zone of the country.
Those in the race for the Senate Leader are former Senate leader, Senator Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South; Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, APC, Ekiti Central and Senator Abdulfatai Buhari, APC, Oyo North.
In the case of the Minority leader, it is a battle of wit between the former Vice Presidential and the party’s Presidential candidate in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar on one hand and the immediate past Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
While Atiku is pushing for former Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal for Senate Minority Leader, Wike and his G- 5 Governors are said to be pushing for Senator Jarigbe Akom Jarigbe, PDP, Cross River North.
Also eyeing the position of Senate Minority Leader are former Bayelsa Governor, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, PDP, Bayelsa West; and former Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi, PDP, Bauchi Central.
Intense lobby for headship of 9 special, 63 standing committees
Following his election as Senate President, Akpabio had on Wednesday, June 14 set up a 15-member Welfare Committee and announced the adjournment till July 4.
The 15- member Welfare Committee which has Senator Isah Jibrin, APC, Kogi East as Chairman, was saddled with the responsibility of the welfare of the Senators, allocation of offices and seats at the hallowed chamber in accordance with the Standing Orders and ranking.
Vanguard’s investigation yesterday showed that the old Chamber that has been under renovation since August 2022 is still not ready for use as indications have emerged that the temporary chamber on the ground floor of the Senate would be used for plenary sessions.
As Senate resumes today and in line with Senate Standing Orders 2020 as amended, the Senate President and the deputy will pause the composition of the committees until names of the principal officers are forwarded because both the Principal officers of the ruling and opposition parties are members of the Committee of Selection, with the Senate President as Chairman.
According to the Standing Orders, no member of the selection Committee shall serve as chairman of a committee and no Senator shall serve in more than seven committees.
The special committees that must be announced within the first 14 legislative days following the first sitting of the Senate are Selection Committee Selection; Committee on Rules and Business and the Senate Services Committee; Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions; Public Accounts; National Security and Intelligence; Committee on Legislative Compliance; and Committee on Media and Public Affairs among others.
The lobby for who chairs the 63 standing committees would be another round of political intrigues where the issue of ranking, party affiliation, loyalty, former governors and close associates will play critical roles.
Abbas to unveil Ihonvbere, Chinda, others
In the House of Representatives, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas is expected to formally announce the nomination of the principal officers of the majority and minority parties.
Upon its inauguration on June 13, the Reps elected Abbas as speaker with Benjamin Kalu as his deputy. It sat on June 14 and proceeded for Eid el-Kabir two weeks break on June 15. The break was to also enable the bureaucracy to allocate offices to the new members.
Now, offices have been made ready and allocated to the 359 members in the 360-member parliament.