Jibrin Barau (APC, Kano North), one of the candidates for Senate President, has entertained nearly 70 senators-elect in order to foster the necessary ties and friendships before to the start of the 10th National Assembly.
Almost 70 senators elect, according to information, were in attendance at the luncheon held last Tuesday at the NICON Luxury Hotel in Abuja.
It was further learned that the meeting took place after the legislators were given their certificates of return.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) handed out Certificates of Return to 98 out of 109 senators-elect on Tuesday at the International Conference Centre.
Seven political parties in total won seats in the Senate, with the APC taking the top spot with 57 seats.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 29 seats; Labour Party won six; New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) won two; Social Democratic Party (SDP) also won two; the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Young Progressives Party (YPP) got one each.
The meeting, which lasted for over an hour, saw Barau, a third-term senator at the red chamber and fourth-term lawmaker at the National Assembly – having served at the House of Representatives between 1999 – 2003, setting up the move that will allow the senators-elect to begin to form the needed bond amongst themselves to make the 10th Senate very successful.
Barau, who is regarded as a party man and ardent supporter of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is the only senator on the platform of the APC elected to to the 10th National Assembly from Kano State.
A Senator-elect, who attended the meeting, said the attendance was not limited to senators-elect of the APC. He said senators-elect who are members of other political parties attended the party.
“As a second timer at the red chamber, I know Barau because I have interacted with him previously.
“He has a thorough understanding of parliamentary proceedings and he is an easy-going fellow.
“He has my vote come June when the 10th Assembly will be inaugurated,” a lawmaker, who is from the southern part of the country said.
A Senator-elect from the South-South zone, who is going to the Senate for the first time, said: “Senator Barau will surely have my vote for the Senate Presidency, he is a fantastic lawmaker with good leadership qualities.
“He has been supportive of us from when he was elected to serve as the chairman of the APC Senatorial candidates forum till date.”
An aide of the lawmaker said Senator Barau, who chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations, organised the event to enable him to interact with his colleagues.
“It was to enable him to interact and familiarise himself with his colleagues and nothing more,” he said.
After swearing in on May 29, the incoming President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, will in the second week of his tenure in June, transmit a proclamation letter to the National Assembly to terminate the Ninth Assembly and kick-start the 10th Assembly. This will give room for the emergence of new presiding officers for both the red and green chambers.
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