Senate Presidency: Northern Govs, Senators-elect meet in Kaduna today
AHEAD of the inauguration of the 8th Senate and as fight for the senate presidency heightens, strong indications emerged yesterday that governors- elect and senators- elect from the north will meet today in Kaduna to forge a common purpose for who becomes the next number three from the north.
Baring any last minute change, the governors – elect and Senators for the meeting will be drawn from the North East, North West and North East.
It was gathered that the arrow head of the meeting is a governor-elect from North West who is close friend of General Mohammadu Buhari, the president-elect.
The meeting, a source said was initially slated for Wednesday but was shifted for this weekend because of the just concluded induction course for newly elected Senators and members of House of Representatives in Abuja.
Speaking to a select team of Journalists in confidence, an aide to the governor- elect disclosed that the meeting became imperative in view of the various dimensions the contest has taken in the last five days.
It would be recalled that with the All Progressives Congress, APC forming the majority in the National Assembly and since the party zoned the National Assembly leadership positions two weeks ago, the race for the senate presidency has been enveloped in intrigues and power play.
The party zoned the senate presidency to the North central and speaker to the south west. But there were disagreements and their actions were deadlocked.
But forceful representations from the north east were said to have created a situation of uncertainty on the zoning just as the party recounted, saying no zoning formula has been agreed upon.
Senator Ahmad Lawan’s desire for the job was said to have been informed by the u-turn made by the APC even as other contestants, Senators Bukola Saraki and George Akume, all from the North central have remained strong in contention.
Speaking on the development, an APC chieftain who noted that the leadership of the party has subtly conceded to the request of a governor elect that the North should meet to decide on one of the contenders against the backdrop that it has been agreed that it should come from there, said, “I think the issue of the senate presidency is merely being over flogged, there is nothing to worry about the matter any more because I can assure you that the three zones from the region will meet in Kaduna either today or tomorrow to take a stand on the issue.