TINUBU looses grip as Bukola Saraki emerges Nigeria Senate President

Bukola Saraki, Senate President

 Senator Bukola Saraki has been elected as Nigeria senate president against the choice of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, which preferred Senator Ahmed Lawan. 

Senator Ike Ekweremadu of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has also been elected as deputy senate President of the 8th National Assembly. Ekweremadu defeated Senator Ali Ndume of the APC with 55 out of 75 votes cast.  There are 109 senators at the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

Saraki, who has also been sworn into office, was the only one nominated for the position.  He was therefore elected unopposed.

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party had on Tuesday morning adopted Senator Bukola Saraki for the position of Senate President and Hon. Yakubu Dogara for the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The party, in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, in Abuja at 1:50 a.m., urged its senators and reps to act accordingly by voting for the two men.

These two men were not those adopted by the ruling All Progressives Congress for the positions.

While the APC nominated Senator Ahmed Lawan for the office of the Senate President, it also asked its members to support Femi Gbajabiamila as Speaker.

The APC even conducted mock elections that threw up their preferred candidates as winners. But on the floor of the senate, Saraki and Ekweremadu emerged winners.
Recall that the APC leader Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu had kicked against Bukola's candidature citing corruption charges and the fact that it would mean that three muslims will occupy three key positions.