As the 10th National Assembly resumes today, after its two-week break, the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has warned Senate President Godswill Akpabio against unveiling a fake list of minority leaders saying it was still consulting and yet to take a stand on the issue.
The party’s National Working Committee, NWC, yesterday, met with PDP senators to avert what they described as incursions of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, into its fold to determine those who will emerge as Senate Minority Leader.
This is coming as tension rose following the battle for the Senate Majority Leader with some Northern Senators insisting that the North should produce the majority leader.
Also, there is intense lobbying among senators for the headship of nine special, and 63 standing committees.
In the House of Representatives, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas barring changes is expected to announce Professor Julius Ihonvhere, Kingsley Chinda, George Ozodinobi, Ali Madaki and Usman Kumo among others as principal officers.
The Principal office positions for the ruling APC are the Majority leader; Chief Whip; Deputy Leader; and deputy Whip while the opposition parties have the Minority Leader; Minority Whip; Deputy Minority Leader and Deputy Minority Whip.
PDP NWC, Senators meet, resolve to present a common front
The PDP NWC met with Senators elected on its platform in a last-ditch attempt to forestall a showdown over the choice of persons for minority leadership positions in the Senate. The meeting was held at the party’s National Secretariat, on Monday.
Sources said that 19 of the party’s 36 senators were in attendance with six others sending in apologies.
Others were said to be in Saudi Arabia where they had gone to perform the Muslim ritual of hajj.
It was gathered that party leaders who were mindful of conflicting interests among its ranks waded in and urged the lawmakers to forge a common front in order to ward off incursions from the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
