Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th Senate on 13th June 2023, President Bola Tinubu has restated his strong appeal to the All Progressives Congress (APC) senators-elect to abide by the zoning arrangements agreed upon, as announced by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party.
The APC had in May zoned the position of the Senate President in the 10th Senate to the South-South, with Senator Godswill Akpabio as the preferred candidate, and Senator Jubrin Barau from North-West, as the preferred candidate for the deputy senate presidency.
Making his passionate appeal Wednesday night, Tinubu, who was addressing no fewer than 40 APC senators-elect led by Akpabio at the Aso Rock Villa, tasked all APC senators-elect to toe the lines of the party’s zoning arrangement in electing their presiding officers.
He stressed that “This is the right thing to do in support of the Renewed Hope agenda” of his administration.
Tinubu’s words to the senators-elect, “At this point in our history and the challenges facing us as a new administration, all hands must be on deck to salvage the unpalatable situation facing the nation. We must see the situation as a pan-Nigerian Project for the executive and the legislature to work out solutions to the challenges of the nation.”
“The task ahead to finding solutions to the myriads of national problems cannot come from the executive arm of government alone but by the working together of the executive and the legislature.”
He advised the newly-elect present at the meeting to reach out and pass the appeal to their colleagues who were unavoidably absent to toe the party lines and put a leash on all personal ambition in favour of the party programme and national interest.
“Talk to your colleagues that are not here to toe the party line and give the Renewed Hope agenda a chance to succeed. The elephant is big enough for all members and indeed Nigerians to have a share of the Renewed Hope in due course,” Tinubu admonished.
Pundits say it was a tacit way to goad the old and new legislators into line in the selection of their leaders.
Earlier at the meeting, which lasted late into the night, Akpabio restated his congratulations to the president on the successful outcome of his presidential inauguration.
The president said that since the party announced the zoning arrangements for the leadership of the National Assembly, the majority of the party’s senators-elect led by him and Senator Barau had reached out to other APC senators-elect and those from the opposition political parties with positive results and pledge of support.
*Yari’s camp adamant
It was, however, gathered yesterday, that Akpabio’s rival to the senate presidency race, Senator Abdul-Aziz Yari, is not taking matters easy in ensuring that the North claims the senate presidency, in line with the belief of the camp that the vice president now in the kitty of the geopolitical zone is not enough.
Specifically, it was learnt that I learnt that Yari, Jimoh Ibrahim, and Elisha Abbo did not attend the meeting with the President.
Recall that several calls had been made for the former Zamfara State governor’s camp to respect party supremacy by bowing out of the race, and efforts were made to win more support for the side.
To ensure victory, the camp, like Akpabio’s, only needed to win a simple majority of the 109 senators in the National Assembly.
Signifying a likelihood that Yari and his supporters may go ahead to contest the seat against the party’s choice, having held a meeting with the lawmakers at Destination Hotel, Wuse 2 on Thursday, Tinubu had to make his declaration on Wednesday night to show the direction he was plotting.
There have been claims and counter-claims of the strength which of the camps has the better strength.
*Governors back the president
Meanwhile, governors across party lines are believed to have keyed into the choice of the quartet of Akpabio, Tajudeen Abbas (PhD), Barau Jibrin, and Benjamin Kalu as the presiding officers of the incoming 10th Assembly.
Ogun State governor disclosed that members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), who met with the president earlier in the week, had resolved to adopt Abbas and Kalu as the speaker and deputy speaker of the 10th House of Representatives respectively, after the meeting with President Tinubu.
Abiodun spoke when he received a delegation of the Tajudeen Abbas/Benjamin Kalu Campaign Team under the auspices of the Joint Task – 10th Assembly in Abuja yesterday.
A statement issued by the Tajudeen Abbas/Benjamin Kalu Campaign Office (Joint Task – 10th Assembly) entitled ‘Govs Across Parties Have Keyed Into Akpabio, Abbas, others’ choice for 10th Assembly leadership – Gov. Abiodun.’ mirrored this position.
Abbas and Kalu are the anointed candidates of the All Progressives Congress.
According to the Ogun state governor, “We (governors) met with the President two days ago. During our meeting, he told us that the campaigns are over. He said that he’d be president for all. So, he sought our understanding and collaboration.
“It is within the right of the president to seek those that will make his job easier. He has decided in collaboration with the party that these are the people that he wants to work with. All of us across party lines keyed into what the president told us. We had our meeting after meeting him and decided that we should support the president.”
Abiodun also disclosed that he met with the members-elect of the House from Ogun State and told them, “You’re standing solidly with Mr. President and the party. I, as the governor of Ogun State, am standing solidly behind you (Abbas).”
The governor also noted that God gives power to whom He wishes at the time He wishes, hence, noting that with the array of members-elect that have aligned with Abbas and Kalu, “it shows the level of support that you have.”
He added, “I want to thank all those that have keyed into your leadership. As the president reminded us yesterday (during a meeting with APC lawmakers-elect), these are positions for the party with the majority. But that party must seek the partnership of other political parties.
“You should carry along all members or most members to ensure that you succeed. Your success will be measured by the way your members take the dividends of democracy to their people. I believe Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas will provide meaningful, purposeful, meticulous, people-oriented leadership.”
He pointed out that there could be only one occupant of the Speaker’s chair at a time, noting that “there are other smaller chairs that your members can occupy.”
Earlier, Abbas said the visit to the governor was to seek his support, blessing, and cooperation to be able to clinch the position and stabilise the 10th House. He promised to carry all members along irrespective of their party affiliations if he emerged victorious on June 13.
Also, the Chairman of the Joint Task – 10th Assembly, Usman Kumo, told the governor that the forum adopted Abbas after the APC leadership announced him as its choice for Speaker.
Kumo also noted that the Joint Task is at the forefront of marketing the lawmaker, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency, purely based on merit.
“We present to you a parliamentarian par excellence. The only lawmaker in the history of our democracy that sponsored 74 Bills within a four-year term, out of which 21 were signed into law by the president. We’re marketing Tajudeen Abbas on merit. As a favour, the party endorsed him as the speakership candidate,” he said.
