• Contenders begin horse-tradingIndications have emerged that new and re-elected senators vying for the seat of senate president have begun intense lobbying at the presidency and the secretariat of the People’s Democratic Party on which zone gets to occupy the seat, even as a new block that wants the presidency to stay out of the election process is forming.
However, LEADERSHIP reliably gathered that the newly elected senators who outnumber those re-elected do not want the status quo nor do they want any high profile individual. Thus, they’ve started holding meetings with the hope of determining the next senate president.
While the PDP secretariat has said the principle of federal character will play a role in which zone produces the senate president, the first-time-senators who shall constitute more than 70% of the next occupants of the red chamber have decided to ensure that integrity, intelligence high leadership quality and religion/ethnic balance guides their choice of the 7th senate president.
The legal adviser to PDP, Chief Olusola Oke, said yesterday that, “The PDP leadership which has majority in the National Assembly shall responsibly abide by the principle of federal character as enshrined in the 1999 constitution. The president and the vice president have emerged from two different geopolitical zones. The ruling party shall ensure that other principal officers to be elected or appointed come from other geo-political zones outside the zones the president and his vice hail from.”
The understanding of the green horn senators is that they would prefer a president who is highly resourceful and relatively unheard-off. A senator-elect who wished not to be mentioned said their resolve have taken into consideration the zoning of the senate presidency seat. He said, “The next senate president shall either come from the North-Central or North-East since the poor electoral performance of the South-West has edged it out of the contest.”
Oke however said, “As at the moment the leadership of the PDP is yet to meet even though consultations are going on. I am sure the president who is the leader of the party is committed to equity, justice and fairness and will ensure that each zone gets what it deserves.In doing this, in my own opinion, regard will be given to competence and previous performance. I can say that very soon, the party leadership will meet to look into this.”
“Whatever is being canvassed or written in the newspapers at present is mere speculation,” the PDP legal adviser added.
Of those contending, the north-east has Governor Danjuma Goje, Abdul Ningi and Mohammed Ndume. At the same time, the current senate president David Mark, former Nassarawa State governor Adamu Abdullahi and the current governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki and many other highly respected first-time senators shall file out for the contest.
The senator-elect who spoke said, “We are more concerned about the quality of the individual that shall lead the next senate, which would be a different ball-game. We are hopeful the presidency would not be particular about any individual.”
The new senators said the performance of the former senate president Ken Nnamani who was in the senate for the first time is enough to confirm that experience in the conduct of affair of red chamber is not a serious factor.
Meanwhile, Governor Danjuma Goja will meet with all newly elected senators and the governors in the North-East in a bid to press for his aspiration.