Senate Presidency: How Buhari’s neutrality changed the rules

Ezrel Tabiowo, in this piece, examines the twist which changed the rules in the power game for emergence of candidates to fill the highest offices in both chambers of the National Assembly, amidst a narrative that also reveals how the All Progressive Congress, APC, lost its influence of zoning same.

The power struggle for the highest position of the National Assembly assumed a new dimension last week following claims made by the two contenders, Senators Bukola Saraki and Ahmad Lawan, both set to contest the Senate Presidency during the first week of June.

The claims emerged following intense lobbying of senators-elect of the incoming 8th National Assembly by both contenders after the failure of the All Progressive Congress to agree on zoning the leadership of the upper legislative chamber.

Recall that Nigeria’s new President, Muhammadu Buhari, in a move least anticipated recently stated that he would not interfere in the process leading to the emergence of candidate for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives, or Senate President of the upper chamber of the National Assembly.

President Buhari also expressed his willingness to work with candidates who emerged as speaker and senate president of both chambers.

His position, which sent strong signals to the leadership of the All Progressive Party, led to the question of zoning being jettisoned in favour of merit by the ruling party.

Before now, there were insinuations suggesting that the ruling party would zone the office of the senate presidency to the north east, following clamour by politicians within the zone who insisted for same to be done given the loss accounted for by the region due to insurgent activities.

Political arrow heads in the region also argued that since the North Central zone had over the last eight years under the leadership of Senator David Mark, held the highest office in the National Assembly, it would be unfair on the part of the party to same in the geo-political zone.

But speaking against the idea of zoning of the highest offices of both chambers of the National Assembly, former Governor of Kwara State and one of the heavy weight contenders in the race to the Senate Presidency, Senator Bukola Saraki, last week said that Nigeria can only make meaningful progress if political parties in the country set aside sentiments in favour of merit in providing leadership.

The lawmaker stated this while fielding questions from journalists in Abuja on his Senate Presidential ambition and other critical national issues last week.

Saraki, who presently chairs the Senate committee on Environment and Ecology, maintained that he had the capacity, competence and the will power to drive the 8th Senate to reposition the country towards rapid socio-economic development.

The lawmaker, therefore, called the elected Senators of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to discard partisan sentiments and focus on competence, capacity and merit in their choice of the next President of the Senate and other principal officers.

According to him, Nigerians were not being impacted by the dividends democracy from their elected representatives because leaders usually emerged through ethnic, religious and sectional sentiments rather than on the basis of qualification and competence.

He said: “We need to review the way we have been doing things and start doing things right. I will ensure that the Senate makes impact on the lives of the people. The people are not feeling the impact of the Parliament and they are asking what their elected representatives are doing there.

“I will provide quality direction on how to run the affairs of the country. We have to give Nigerians value for their money. The Senate must have a national agenda that will effectively address the multifarious problems confronting this country at the moment.

“Nigerians voted for APC for change so that things can be done differently. We need to allow internal democracy to take place in electing the leadership of the next Assembly so that people can elect their choice candidates without interference. Let us not base choice of leadership on sentiment. The PDP lost because Nigerians were tired of the failure in the system”, he noted.

Recall that a group spearheading Saraki’s ambition, Senators of Like Mind, following intensive lobbying of lawmakers, had earlier disclosed that it had the support of 34 senators belong to the All Progressive Congress, APC.

But in a separate claim, the Senate Unity Forum, a campaign group striving for Senator Ahmad Lawan’s emergence as Senate President, assured that it will today, disclose the names of 40 senators behind the lawmaker’s ambition.

The assurance came from the spokesperson of the group, Senator Barnabas Gemade, last Thurssday, while briefing newsmen at the National Assembly, Abuja.

Gemade, who also disclosed the composition of the group, said it had 13 senators-elect from the South-west, 20 from the North-west while seven others were drawn from two other zones of the country.

According to the lawmaker, the Senate Unity Forum consists of senators-elect united under the common purpose of ensuring the emergence of Senators Lawan (Yobe, North-east) and George Akume (Benue, North-central), as Senate president and deputy Senate President respectively in the eight Senate.

Giving reasons which informed the group’s decision to support Lawan’s candidacy, Gemade said the 40 senators decided to thrown their weight behind Lawan/Akume ticket because they were most competent and qualified to lead the 8th senate.

Recall that Senator Bukola Saraki had on Monday displayed a list containing the names and signatures of 34 APC senators-elect behind his bid to become senate president.

He disclosed to newsmen that he had equally sent the list to the National Chairman of APC, Chief John Oyegun.

However, the figures being paraded by both Senators Lawan and Saraki which amount to 70, superseded the number of APC senators-elect of the 8th senate.

Also, it will be recalled that 60 senators-elect were elected on the platform of APC in March, the number reduced to 59 penultimate weekend following the demise of Senator Ahmad Zannah (Borno Central).

Lawan, while unfolding his agenda for the next Senate upon inauguration on June 9, said the Senate under his leadership would work assiduously to guarantee the independence of the legislature.

“Senate everywhere in the world is a stabilised chamber in any democracy. Thank God that I have been in the Senate for eight years after my eight-year sojourn in the House of Representatives. Therefore, the Senate should be a place where the independence of the legislature is enhanced. We have had eight years of stability in the Senate. The eight Senate will build on that,” he said.

The lawmaker added that the National Assembly under his leadership would co-operate with the executive to entrench good governance, saying he would ensure that the apex legislative body joins forces with the president-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, when he assumes office to fight corruption and block leakages in government.

Meanwhile, with the rules of the game for contesting the senate presidency changed, one that demands open contest as against consensus candidacy, the chances of the Peoples Democratic Party becoming involved cannot be outrightly ruled out altogether.

In view of recent development, should the opposition party, upon putting its house in order, decide to field a candidate to take a shot at the Senate Presidency, the party may steal the win on the long run given that it has 49 Senators on its side.

On the other hand, with the ruling All Progressive Congress divided over two influential and competent candidates, the party may afterall decide to reach a middle ground, either by lobbying PDP senators or settling for a sole candidate, if it must produce majority votes needed to whittle that of the opposition.

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