Senate Minority Leadership: PDP Senators Settle for North-central
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators in the 10th National Assembly held a crucial meeting to replace the vacant position of the Senate Minority Leader and the Minority Whip.
The meeting was held in the office of Senator representing Kebbi South, Garba Musa Maidoki. The former Minority Whip, Senator Simon Mwadkwon was sacked last October by the Court of Appeal.
A three-member appeal panel ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to, within 90 days, conduct a fresh election in the Plateau North Senatorial District.
Similarly, a Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, had also sacked Darlington Nwokocha, the Senate Minority Chief Whip, representing Abia Central under the platform of the Labour Party.
The appellate court subsequently declared Augustine Akobundu of the PDP as the authentic winner of the 25 February election in the senatorial district.
At a closed door session yesterday the PDP lawmakers resolved to zone the office of Minority Leader to the North Central geo-political zone, according to a source who craved anonymity.
The lawmakers, according to the source, who is also a PDP senator, agreed to convey their position to other lawmakers in the Red Chamber.
He said: “We are of the opinion that the region has been shut out in the power distribution in the country.”
In attendance at the meeting were Senators Aminu Tambuwal, Abdul Ningi, Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, Abba Morro, Aminu Dankwabbo, Francis Fadahunsi Osita Ngwu, Ned Nwoko, Adamu Aliero, amongst others.
Speaking with journalists after the meeting held behind closed doors, Maidoki confirmed the development and explained the reason the PDP senators settled for North Central.
He said: “Everyone has agreed that the North Central should have that position for equity. Whether you are in PDP or APC, the Senate President is from the South South, the Deputy Senate President is from North West, the Senate Leader is from South West, the Chief Whip is from North East.
“So, the only zone that do not have any leadership position is North Central, after the ouster of the last Minority Leader. We have all agreed that the North Central should have it for equity.
“Even though the highest number of PDP senators are from North West, we are on the same page, we are unanimous, we have agreed and had persuaded those who want the same position.
“This was just driven by equity for every zone. In any case, it is only a position of trust, he has only one vote when it comes to voting, the Senate President has only one vote”
Maidoki added that there would be no micro-zoning to any individual.
He said the President of the Senate was aware of the meeting of the PDP lawmakers.
He said: “We don’t want to make the same mistake we made the last time, we refused to take a position on time and some people took the decision for us.
“Hence we had to hold this emergency meeting when we realised that a vacuum exist in the minority leadership, and in the past weeks, nothing had been done, so we had to take move quickly.
“The Senate President was here this morning and we assured him that it was a PDP affair and we want to make sure we chose our leader who can contribute robustly to debates in the Senate.
“It’s not about change or overturning anyone, its about t
he leadership vacuum in the minority and we don’t want anyone to chose for us, “ Maidoki added.
