The support base of Senator Godswill Akpabio, who has been endorsed for Senate President by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), widened yesterday.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s parley with National Assembly members-elect has boosted his chance and the aspiration of Tajudeen Abbas for the House of Representatives Speaker.
Akpabio (Akwa Ibom Northwest), and Abbas (Zaria Federal Constituency, Kaduna State) were endorsed by the ruling party, following the zoning of the Senate President to the Southsouth and Speaker to the Northwest.
APC has also endorsed Barau Jibrin (Kano, North) for Deputy Senate President and Benjamin Kalu (Bende Federal Constituency, Abia State) for Deputy Speaker.
Yesterday, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun re-echoed the earlier statement by Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma that all APC governors are backing the party’s candidates for presiding offices.
APC has 59 senators-elect, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has 36, LP has eight, NNPP has two, SDP two, APGA one, and YPP one.
In the House of Representatives, APC has 178 members, PDP has 117 and other parties have 65.
The president has met with the senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect twice in the last 48 hours to drum support for the candidates endorsed by the party ahead of the June 13 inauguration of the National Assembly and election of presiding officers.
He met with APC Federal lawmakers on Wednesday and with all of them, that is, the ruling party and opposition members, yesterday.
At yesterday’s meeting were Vice President Kashim Shettima, Senate President Ahmed Lawan and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Last night, leaders of the opposition caucuses in the proposed 10th National Assembly met to further deliberate on the outcome of the president’s meeting with them.
At the meeting, Vice President Shettima emphasised the importance of cohesion and national unity.
He said the zoning proposed by the party for the election of the presiding offices is in line with the current reality of a same-faith presidency, which necessitates a Christian Senate President.
A source said the vice president urged the APC senators-elect to make sacrifices and embrace party supremacy at this critical time.
Two of the contenders – Abdulaziz Yari and Orji Uzor Kalu – were absent at the meeting, an indication that they are pressing ahead with their mission.
Two other senators supporting Yari, one from the Southwest and another from the Northeast, also did not show up.
At Wednesday’s meeting with APC senators-elect, President Tinubu emphasised the imperative of national understanding and harmonious working relationship between APC and opposition senators in the national interest.
The president reiterated his support for the zoning endorsed by the ruling party, urging APC senators to embrace it as a collective decision.
President Tinubu said: “At this point in our history and with 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.
“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”.
Also yesterday at the meeting with all National Assembly members-elect, the President urged them to work for the country’s good and to eschew partisanship.
A House of Representatives member-elect, Adamu Ranga, told reporters after the meeting: “Mr President emphasised that he will run an open-door policy.
“He said we should put our constituencies first since we are here to represent them.
“He mentioned that he wants the Senate and the House to cooperate to elect good leaders.”
A source at the meeting said: “The opposition senators-elect gave a positive assurance. They were happy about the way the president approached them and explained critical matters to them.
“The issue is religion. It cannot be ignored. Even, in the international community, there is the understanding that religious domination is not an agenda that is worthy of pursuit
“So, on the Akpabio project, we are making steady progress.”
Expect surprises, says PDP
The PDP said the APC may be in for a surprise.
National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, told reporters that all the opposition parties constitute a majority.
He said this numerical strength will be deployed to frustrate the APC’s plans to dominate the National Assembly leadership.
Ologunagba said: “The PDP leadership is working together with our members-elect and opposition parties.
“Irrespective of the ongoing claims in the media, I want to inform you that the PDP has a clear direction which we hold close to our chest.
“Our members are united in that direction and it will show on the floor of both Houses of the National Assembly on Tuesday.
“In all, we do not discountenance the fact that put together, the opposition parties have the majority in the National Assembly which we are ready to deploy maximally.”
An LP House of Representatives-elect, Victor Ogene, said his party had not decided on how to vote.
He said once a decision is made, they would go in the same direction.
“I can assure you that we are going to vote en bloc. Consultation is on.
“I do not know those we will vote for yet, but I know those we will not vote for.
“We will not be railroaded in choosing anybody. It will be a conscious decision,” he said.
