10th Senate: fresh crisis looms for ruling APC & Tinubu
The ruling All Progressives Congress and president-elect Bola Tinubu will face a fresh crisis as the 10th Senate begins next month. There have been reports of the decisions of the party and the new president.
The party, and of course, the incoming president have reportedly settled for a former Akwa Ibom state governor, Godswill Akpabio, to lead the 10th Senate.
The decision became imperative in order to reaffirm the conventional zoning formula, which was jettisoned during the presidential primary election. But Mr. Abdulaziz Yari, a senator-elect from Zamfara State, has refused to agree with the party.
It has become the tradition that both the president and the Senate President would come from the same zone (north or south). Both Muhammadu Buhari and Ahmad Lawan are from north.
That would have birthed the conclusion of the party to go for Godswill Akpabio from Akwa Ibom State. And since his adoption, other interested candidates for the seat of 10th Senate leader have rejected the zoning plan.
According to the Daily Times, the former Zamfara State governor said he is contesting for the seat based on the constitution of the country.
He said, ” My aspiration for Presidency of the 10th Senate is covered by relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution which to me , is superior to any other law or arrangement .
” I am a loyal party man , nobody has told me that any position has been zoned to anywhere as far as the 10th National Assembly is concerned.
” Position of President of the Senate , is first among equals among the 109 Senators . Any Senator – elect who wants to occupy the position , must seek for support of others which i am doing.”
Mr. Yari said his fate would be decided by the other 108 senators on the day of the inauguration of the 10th senate. He therefore rejected the arrangements made by the party for the leadership of the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
The choice of Mr. Godswill Akpabio as the Senate President doesn’t seem to have gone down well with the incoming and returning senators. There could be a repeat of what happened in 2015 when Bukola Saraki liaised with the PDP senators to emerge as the president of the house.
