Senate Presidency: More Senators-elect Join Yari

Some senators-elect have given indication as to who will be the next Senate President when the incoming 10th National Assembly is inaugurated on June 13, 2023.

Senator-elect from Zamfara State, Sahabi Ya’u, told journalists on the sidelines of an induction programme organised for Senators and Members-elect for the 10th National Assembly at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja, that as far as he and many of the Senators-elect on the platform of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) were concerned, the zoning arrangement on the presiding officers of the next Senate made by the party was unknown to them.

Ya’u, who has queued behind the aspiration of Zamfara West Senator-elect, Abdul’aziz Yari, said: “I read about the zoning arrangement in the papers like other people. Nobody has discussed such a plan with us and in any case, Senators-elect are the ones to decide who they want as President or Deputy President.”

Also, commenting on the issue at another interview session with journalists, Senator-elect Victor Umeh of the Labour Party (LP), said Senators-elect and not any party’s arrangement, will decide who becomes what on the day of inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

“APC as the ruling party and the party with majority of seats in the Senate has zoned the positions of President and Deputy President of the 10th Senate to the zones it felt deserve them, but on the day of inauguration, Senators-elect will decide the fate of those interested in the positions as provided for by relevant provisions of the 1999 Constitution,” Umeh stated.

Another senator-elect, Sulaiman Kawu Sumaila of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) openly declared on live television that the APC arrangement was an insult on the parliament, saying Yari remains his candidate for the office of Senate President.

Meanwhile, Yari, declared on Monday in Abuja that he was in the race for the Presidency of the 10th Senate in line with constitutional provisions and not zoning arrangements made by any political party.

Yari, who stated this while fielding questions from journalists on the sidelines of an induction programme organised for Senators and Members-elect for the 10th National Assembly at the International Conference Centre (ICC) in Abuja, pointed out that his aspiration was not an affront against his party, the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).

Recall that the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC had anointed Senators-elect Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibril as Senate President and Deputy, respectively for the 10th Assembly.

But Yari insisted that he is still in the race as provided for by Section 50 (2) of the 1999 Constitution.

“My aspiration for the 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.

“It is a hire and fire arrangement. I want them to hire me as President of the 10th Senate on the day of inauguration. Many of those approached by me have given their support and I won’t disappoint them.

“My becoming Senate President on the day of inauguration lies with a decision that will be made by 108 other Senators that day and nothing else,” Yari declared.