Sources
close to the All Progressive Party, APC, have confirmed that four high
ranking Senators have emerged as favorites in the race for the seat of
Senate President in the 8th Senate that would emerge in June.
The sources according to Nigerian
Tribune confirmed that the four ranking Senators are from the North
East and North Central geopolitical zones and have flagged off
consultations within the Senate and the leadership of the APC.
Those thought to be in the race
include, Senator Bukola Saraki, incumbent Chairman, Senate Committee on
Environment and Ecology; former Governor of Gombe State, Senator Danjuma
Goje; incumbent Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume and the
former Governor of Nasarawa State, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who have all
indicated interest in becoming the Senate’s number one man and the
nation’s number three citizen.
It was gathered that Saraki has
been rallying members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who
defected to the APC in November 2013 to help him clinch the seat.
Fmr Kwara Governor: Senator Bukola-Saraki
The former Governor of Kwara
State had been linked to the top job following the gale of defections
that rocked the National Assembly in 2014.
The sources had hinted then that
APC targeted a majority in the Senate through defection of a number of
PDP senators and that if that had materialised, the former Kwara State
Governor would have emerged Senate President.
It was learnt that there is still
contention in the party as to the position of Akume, who is currently
the leader of APC in the red chamber.
Senator George Akume
Many expected that Akume should
automatically become the Senate President, having held the party
together in the chamber in the last four years.
Former Benue State Governor had
contested the position alongside incumbent Senator Davd Mark in 2007 but
was defeated on the floor by Mark.
While Akume and Saraki are from
the North Central, Senator Danjuma Goje is from the North East. Though
he was said to have joined the race, it was learnt that he might be
schemed out because the party plans to pick the next Speaker of the
House of Representatives from the North East.
Senator Danjuma Goje
Senator Abdullahi Adamu, a former
Governor of Nasarawa State was also said to have joined the race. He
hails from the North Central and is seen to have equal chance like
Saraki and Akume.
Senator Abdullahi Adamu
Sources close to the party
however revealed to Nigerian Tribune that the leaders will put their
feet down on the leadership of the National Assembly.
“The
APC will ensure the zoning arrangement is adhered to strictly. We will
even ensure that the zoning is clinically done so that there is no room
for loopholes. For instance, it could be zoned to a particular state in
the geopolitical zone and by that eliminate any doubt about who the
leaders want,” a source said.
Sources also said that former
President Olusegun Obasanjo might be called upon to play massive roles
in arriving at candidates for the position of Deputy Senate President,
expected to come from the South East.
The race to win the senate president seat has begun, who will win the race?
Meanwhile some other sources told
other media outlets that some Igbo senators are set to leave the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the APC in order to stand a chance of
emerging as Nigeria’s senate president.
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