Minority Senators Tip Ningi as Their Leader

*PDP NWC meets federal lawmakers today

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Ahead of Tuesday’s scheduled resumption of the Senate, senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other minority parties might have resolved to elect former Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP Bauchi) as the Minority Leader of the 10th Senate.

This was as the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP, has scheduled a crucial meeting for today with its senators elected, following pressure and entreaties from stakeholders to former Sokoto State governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, a first timer, to withdraw from the race.

However, Ningi is said to be enjoying the support of a majority of PDP Senators and those from other minority parties owing to his long-standing legislative experience in the senate, a decision unconnected to the parliamentary tradition and rule of ranking in the Senate.

While Tambuwal is a first time Senator, Ningi, who ranks as one of the longest serving members of the National Assembly has held Principal Officer positions in both chambers, having served as Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate.

PDP stakeholders are said to have reservations towards Tambuwal, who as Speaker of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the PDP, dumped the party for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014.

Tambuwal’s defection cost the PDP its control of the House of Representatives. The PDP eventually lost the 2015 Presidential and most governorship elections to the APC with Tambuwal emerging as Governor of Sokoto State on the platform of the APC.

On the other hand, most of the senators are aligned with Senator Ningi given his loyalty to the PDP.

Meanwhile, in a deft move to edge out the opposition configuration in the National Assembly, the NWC of the PDP has scheduled a meeting for today with its senators.

The meeting is in line with the on-going consultations and efforts by the PDP NWC to ensure unity among the Minority Senators for a seamless, unified and rancour-free process in the nomination of Minority Leadership positions in the Senate.

The move by the PDP NWC is coming amidst reported plots the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Senate Leadership to infiltrate the Minority Caucus with the view to impose a pliable leadership on them, as a prelude to weaken the opposition and foist a one-party system on the polity.

There are reports of plots by the APC-led Senate leadership to trigger crisis within the Minority caucus by announcing names that did not emanate from the Caucus into various Minority leadership positions.

Senators elected on the platform of the PDP are said to have resolved to firmly resist the imposition plot by the APC Senate leadership for which they have decided to recourse to the PDP national leadership for direction.