10th NASS: Lawmakers Move To Avoid Crisis, Grant Senate Presidency To APC

In a bid to prevent a crisis in the 10th National Assembly, some senators have begun moves to concede the Senate Presidency to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

WITHIN NIGERIA reports that according to results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the February 25 National Assembly election, the APC won 57 Senate seats, while the major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has 29 seats.

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) one seat; Labour Party, eight; New Nigeria People’s Party, two; Social Democratic Party, two; and the Young Progressive Party, one seat.

Some states like Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara will have supplementary elections before the June inauguration of the 10th Assembly for the remaining members of the Red Chamber.

Following the tradition of the National Assembly and having won the majority of the seats, the APC is expected to form the majority caucus and produce the presiding officers.

Those eyeing the Senate Presidency senate in the upper legislative chambers include; Jibrin Barau (Kano Central), Sani Musa (Niger East), Orji Kalu (Abia North), and Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom North West).

Others are Osita Izunaso (Imo West), Peter Ndubuze (Imo North), Abdul’Aziz Yari (Zamfara West), and the incumbent Senate President, Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North).

Despite the APC producing the majority lawmakers, reports emerged last week that opposition parties in the House of Representatives are plotting to produce an upset and take over the Green chamber’s leadership.

Fueling these reports was the meeting held between opposition lawmakers-elect met in Abuja on Tuesday where they fine-tuned strategies for using their number as a bargaining power in negotiations with the speakership aspirants.

Speaking to The PUNCH, the senator representing Benue-South in the upper chamber, Abba Moro, said although it was true that there was no stated rule that the party with the majority of members must lead the Senate, it had become a convention to leave the leadership to the party with the majority members.

He stated that the upper legislative chamber would likely not take the route of upstaging the party with the absolute majority in order to avoid acrimony.