9th NASS: Epic battle brews in Senate

                 

The battle for the Senate Presidency is gaining momentum by the day.

With certificates of return issued to senators-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday, the battle for the nation’s number three seat has shifted to the geo-political zones.

Impeccable sources listed North East, South South and South East geo-political zones as the front runners in the jostle for the exalted seat of the Senate President.

While the three zones are said to have stepped up their bid for the Senate President slot, the North West zone is also said to be interested in the position of Deputy Senate President.

The zones, it was gathered, are reaching out to the Presidency and the leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC) to make case for themselves in the zoning arrangements of APC.

With APC’s majority of 65 members, PDP 42 and YPP 1, APC is expected to produce the President of the Ninth Senate.

Findings showed that sitting senators and others newly elected were positioning themselves to grab available leadership positions in the Ninth Senate, which may be inaugurated on June 8.

Inside sources believe that until the APC rolls out its zoning formula, the intrigue, scheming by aspirants for the coveted seat would not abate.

Front runners in the race for Senate Presidency include Senators Ahmed Lawan (Yobe North), Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno South), Mohammed Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) all from North East.

Senator Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West), who is also said to have indicated interest in the Senate top job, hails from the North Central geo-political zone.

New entrants for the exalted position are said to include Senators Benjamin Uwajimogu, Francis Alimikhena and Senator-elect Orji Uzor Kalu.

But some of them are regarded as mere pretenders for the top job.

Lawan, a sitting senator and Senate Leader, was highly favoured by the APC in 2015 for the position of Senate President.


Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, however, upstaged Lawan in what is widely regarded as an “unholy alliance” with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators, to become the Senate President in 2015.

It is however generally believed that the Yobe North Senator looks good to become the Senate President this time around if the APC zones the position to the North East.

Lawan is said to have already stepped up his bid to clinch the Senate top job.

He appears the candidate to beat in the contest, going by his track record and standing in the APC.

Senator Ndume contested the position of Deputy Senate President in 2015 but lost to Senator Ike Ekweremadu.

Ndume, a former Senate leader, has never hidden his desire to become the Senate President.

Those close to him say the Borno South Senator is networking in and out of APC to actualise his ambition.

Senator Abdullahi Adamu, leader of the Legislative Support Group for President Muhammadu Buhari, is also said to have oiled his machinery to give the Senate top job a shot.

Adamu, it was gathered, is leveraging on his unalloyed support for Buhari and his loyalty to APC to make a case for occupying the Senate President’s seat.

The dark horse in the race is said to be Mohammed Danjuma Goje.

Close watchers of the tussle for the seat say Saraki’s loyalists and PDP Senators may back Goje in the contest for Senate presidency.