Allegations of huge resources being expended on senators-elect by aspirants for the position of Senate Presidency came for the Progressives Governors Forum on Saturday, according to a report by an online platform, the Premium Times.
The PT, quoting from an official document, had reported that state executives, under the aegis of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) had said they were aware of ‘rumours’ that two lawmakers, one aspiring for Senate President and another for Speaker of the House of Representatives, had expressed willingness to offer between $500,000 and $1m per lawmaker in exchange for votes.
Part of the report read, “It is imperative that the President-Elect and the Party ((APC), wade into this situation and announce an acceptable zoning formula as soon as possible.
“This is necessary to prevent over-investment by candidates, which leads to acrimony and bitterness. New Senators-elect and members-elect are being offered thousands of dollars.
“Indeed, it is being rumoured that one aspirant for the Senate Presidency and another for Speakership are willing to offer as much as $500,000 to $1m per vote.
“Opposition party members of the National Assembly are being courted with the likelihood of the 2015 situation presenting itself if care is not taken,” the memo reads in part.”
The Campaign for Democracy, (CD) had recently called on the Economic And Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practice And Other Offences Commission to beam their searchlight on the National Assembly members at both the upper and the lower legislative chambers.
Anxiety in Adamawa
ThisNigeria last week reported a meeting between a senator and elected senators when the sum of $10, 000 was allegedly shared with the 70 Senators.
The same aspirant, ThisNigeria learnt last week, had allegedly, recently shared an additional $20, 000 each to a good number of senators-elect.
He had also allegedly set aside N2bn to get executive suites at Transcorp Hilton for senators-elect that would do his bidding
The CD had said, “We have it through our impeccable sources that some ranking Senators have started using their ill-gotten wealth to woe the returning senators and the new members who had their certificates of return from the Independent National Electoral Commission with dollars and other hard currencies in other to win their votes when electing principal officers of the NASS.
“If we allow these politicians to use the money to induce the newly elected members of the 10th National Assembly, the nation will not get it right again.
“We are afraid that such practice could plunge the nation into another round of quagmire and the leadership of the National Assembly will not be able to join hands with the Executive to fight corruption headlong since they are products of corruption. It takes a corrupt Senator to lobby positions with money.
“We have reliably gathered that aspirants for the position of the Senate Presidency have started reaching out to both returning and newly elected Senators with a huge amount of hard currencies to get their vote on the assumption of office come June 2023.
“The EFCC and the ICPC should, as a matter of urgency, swing into action and probe the disturbing phenomenon to save our nascent democracy.
“The anti-graft agencies may also ensure that no Senator that is facing corruption charges or has pending court cases is allowed to take a sensitive position in the 10th Senate.
“They must all be thoroughly checked and cleared before they are allowed to contest any of these sensitive positions, most importantly, that of the Senate President.
“Most worrisome, some of the Senators are still having cases at the courts ranging from money laundering and other corruption cases.
“This, we are poised to resist, if we must rid Nigeria of corruption which has become very endemic in our body system. We want Senators whose track records at the Senate are unblemished.
“We wonder why the aspirant who is already giving out dollars failed to queue behind the zoning arrangements which will give room for equity, fairness, and Justice.
“Drawing from the above, the anti-graft agencies must live up to people’s expectations by moving in and foreclosing any possibility of turning the 10th Senate into a den of corruption.
“It is critical to note that Senate presidency and other sensitive positions are not for sale if we want the nation to come out of its economic doldrums: stagnation or depression.”
Investigations by ThisNigeria revealed that the opposition political parties, which had already formed a formidable coalition of about 43 members have vowed to support credible candidates for the Senate presiding officers positions.
No fewer than 29 senators-elect on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, had formed a formidable coalition with other opposition political parties, who had already secured 12 seats
Other minority parties are the Labour Party (LP), the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
While the APC had so far won 57 seats, the PDP has 29, LP 6, NNPP 2, SDP 2, APGA 1, and YPPP 1.
Investigations by ThisNigeria revealed that the coalition being planned by the opposition senators-elect would support a strong APC Senator-elect from the southern part of the country as Senate President and a North Central Senator as the Deputy.
It was learnt that the opposition senators-elect based their decision on equity, fairness, justice, and peaceful coexistence of Nigeria.
The lawmakers-elect had said only an insensitive leader would ignore the tension in the land and would choose to ignore its selfish interest.
The opposition lawmakers said the mood of the nation is that a Christian from the southern part of the country should be the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly.
No fewer than 11 senators-elect including Senator Sani Musa (North-Central); Jibrin Barau (North-West); Orji Kalu (South East); Godswill Akpabio (South-South); Osita Izunaso (South-East); Peter Ndubueze (South-East); Abdul’Aziz Yari (North-West); Ahmad Lawan (North East); Ali Ndume (North-East); David Umahi (South-East) and Adams Oshiomhole (South-South)
The opposition senators-elect have vowed that the minority caucus across political party lines had agreed to ensure good governance and would not allow the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu to give any excuse for non-performance.
One of them who is a ranking senator had said, “We are not going to rock the boat by producing the presiding officers from the minority caucus. We would abide by the global legislative convention by supporting the best aspirant from the majority bloc.
“We have also agreed that the best aspirant from the South-East geopolitical zone with the best credential will be supported to become the Senate President.
“We have equally agreed that we would ensure the emergence of a North Central Senator with outstanding records of good performance, as the deputy Senate President.”
He had said that the coalition started meeting since penultimate week and would wrap up their deal as soon as the leadership of the party announced the zoning arrangements for the presiding officers’ positions in the 10th National Assembly.
Meanwhile, the Senator currently representing Osun East, Francis Fadahunsi, a retired deputy comptroller-general of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) said the PDP senators-elect were more than ever before, united in their resolve to ensure good governance in the 10th National Assembly.
The senator said, “The meeting of the minority caucus has started and it is not meant to frustrate the APC leadership move on zoning.
“We are prepared to support the best aspirant from the geopolitical zone where the presiding officers’ positions would be zoned to.
“We expect the National Working Committee of the APC and the President-Elect to feel the mood of the nation before taking such a delicate decision.”
Another Senator-elect, a member of the PDP from the North-Central geopolitical zone, who preferred anonymity, said the minority coalition might pitch its tenth with a Southern Christian aspirant in case the party takes the Senate Presidency position to the North.
He said, “The APC narrowly won the presidential election because of the same faith ticket of Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Kashim Shettima. I don’t expect them to make another fundamental mistake this time around.
“We all know that the South-East is marginalised and the Christians are seriously agitating for inclusiveness.
“If the APC failed to reason with the current mood of the nation. We will help them to do the right thing on the day of the inauguration. We will support a Christian Southern aspirant among the current APC contestants.”
Ranking senators of the APC who are aspiring to lead the 10th Senate are now looking beyond the zoning arrangements being planned by the leadership of their party.
They are now focussing their attention on the 43 members of the opposition political parties who have vowed to vote as a team during the inauguration of the 10th Senate in June.
