Following the election of the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Deputy Speaker on Tuesday, members of the minority parties in the two chambers of the National Assembly have started the process of filling the remaining major positions in the Senate and House of Representatives.
Seven opposition parties have representatives in the minority caucus, which has a larger number of members than the APC, the party in power.
The Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, New Nigerian People’s Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Social Democratic Party, African Democratic Congress, and Youth Progressive Party are the organisations involved.
The All Progressives Congress, which is in power, has 59 senators in the Red Chamber; PDP has 36; LP has eight; SDP has two; NNPP has two; YPP has one; and APGA has one.
There are 181 opposition members in the House of Representatives, including 117 from the PDP, 35 from the LP, 19 from the NNPP, five from APGA, two each from the SDP and ADC, and one from the YPP. The APC has 178 members.
Ismaila Maihanci, a Taraba State resident and member-elect for the PDP, passed away on April 22, 2023, becoming the body’s 360th representative.
The Senate Leader, Deputy Senate Leader, Senate Whip, and Senate Minority Whip are the remaining principal officers for the majority caucus.
There is a Senate Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Senate Whip, and Deputy Minority Whip for the minority caucus.
Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader, Majority Whip, and Deputy Majority Whip are the positions that are open in the House of Representatives for the party with the majority of members, while Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip, and Deputy Minority Whip are available for the opposition parties.
The presiding officers cannot entirely be excluded from the selection process, even though the political parties will provide the list of principal officers.
Throughout the leadership struggle, two main camps among senators had formed. For Senate President and Deputy Senate President, the Stability Group backed Godswill Akpabio/Jibrin Barau, while the Democrats Group supported Abdulaziz Yari and Orji Kalu.
was informed by dependable sources that Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central) was vying for Senate Leader.
According to a source, the Senate Leader for the majority caucus would probably be zoned to the South-West, one of our correspondents was told.
As one of the highest ranking lawmakers from the South-West, Bamidele, who served as the Deputy Director-General of the Akpabio/Barau ticket, was rumoured to want the position of Senate Leader.
The source revealed that the Senate Leader on the Yari team was also a target for Senator Omotayo Buhari (APC Oyo North).
The source said, “Senators Opeyemi Bamidele and Buhari have both had their eyes on the Senate Leader, but Bamidele will probably get it now that Senator Akpabio won the Senate President’s seat.
But it’s impossible to tell because the Senate President seems to be willing to bring on as many members of the opposing group as possible based on his comments. However, Bamidele has a better chance, particularly in light of Buhari’s alliance with the opposition candidate.
Senator Francis Fadahunsi (PDP, Osun East) is reportedly leading the race to become the Senate Minority leader within the minority caucus. Senators Adamu Aliero and Abdul Ningi are reportedly also strong candidates for the position.
Fadahunsi claimed that if the position was zoned to the South-West, he was eminently qualified for it. He added that the South-East also had a chance, but as a ranking senator, he would have an advantage because the PDP received more votes in Osun State during the most recent general elections.
Yes, I’m interested in the position of Senate Leader, he replied. I am definitely qualified for the position if it is zoned to the South-West.
“The South-East zone can also be considered, having lost out of the presiding officers, but the party didn’t even get enough votes there,” said a major and experienced lawmaker in the South-West PDP.
Ningi claimed that he lacked the ability to choose to be the minority leader, but he was ready to step up if the caucus chose to nominate him.
“I am not running for anything, but who am I to say no if I am nominated for the Senate Leader or any other position?He said, ”
Ningi, who served as the Senate’s Deputy Minority Leader during the 9th Assembly, commended Akpabio for getting off to a strong start and stated that he was prepared to collaborate with him.
“I am glad he has started on a very clean slate,” he said. I can see that he is prepared for the job, and we have assured him that we will be completely devoted to him once he shows us respect.
“Because he is a ranking senator, he understands that over the years things have not been done so well on behalf of the people of this country. Time will give us another opportunity to redo what we have not been able to do in the last couple of years.”
Candidates lobby LP and NNPP
In the meantime, Oke and Salam have expressed a willingness to cooperate with PDP minority caucus members who are not PDP members.
Is it possible that other minority parties will fill some leadership positions in the minority caucus? Oke was asked in a chat with one of our correspondents.Responding, he said, “Yes, we will divide the four minority leadership (positions) among the minority parties, the PDP, LP, and NNPP.
“After our leaders in the NWC and the governors may have made a decision, aside from the party zoning positions, it is essential that we communicate and lobby among ourselves. No boss can make his subordinates follow him.
Salam added, “We are all discussing this leadership issue in the minority parties. The leaders of each political party will also interact and communicate in some way regarding how the minority caucus will ultimately be organised.
The alleged endorsement by Chinda
As the minority caucus picks its leaders, a crisis is developing among House of Representatives opposition members.
Candidates for the positions of Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip, and Deputy Minority Whip had emerged from all regions, zones, and parties.
On Tuesday, however, immediately following the swearing-in of the 10th National Assembly, a number of important PDP caucus members got together to discuss the leadership of the minority caucus.
Kingsley Chinda (PDP Rivers) was reportedly chosen as the minority leader during the meeting.
When contacted, Bamidele Salam (PDP Osun), another candidate for the job, denied knowledge of the meeting and demanded that those who chose Chinda produce their signatures and the meeting’s minutes.
“Who has backed him? From where did you learn that? Not that I’m aware of. I have no knowledge of it. Inquire with them regarding the endorsement form. A record similar to the meeting minutes ought to exist. It ought to be produced, Salam said.
Oluwole Oke (PDP Osun), another leading candidate for Minority Leader, announced his withdrawal from the race.
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Chinda is devoted to Nyesom Wike, the former governor of Rivers State and head of the G-5 governors, who led the effort to defeat Atiku Abubakar, the PDP’s presidential candidate, in the general elections.
Both Oke and Salam are from the pro-Atiku state of Osun, whose governor is Ademola Adeleke.
Akwa Ibom State’s Unyime Idem is also interested in the Minority Leader.
2019 saw the defeat of Chinda, Chukwuma Onyema, Umar Barde, and Muraina Ajibola in the race to lead the minority caucus of the 9th House.
Calls to Chinda’s mobile phone rang out, making it impossible to reach him for comment.
sharing a recipe
Meanwhile, the four minority caucus leadership positions were distributed among the regions, according to trustworthy sources in the opposition camp.
It was discovered that the South was supposed to present candidates for the positions of Deputy Minority Leader and Deputy Minority Whip, while the North assumed those positions.
In an interview with one of our correspondents, a ranking PDP member of the House explained how the opposition members shared the positions across party, regional, and zonal lines.
Under the condition of anonymity, the lawmaker stated, “We have already given the Labour Party one slot, the NNPP also received a slot, while the PDP has two. There is one in the North and one in the South of the two seats won by the PDP. Two will go to the South and two to the North, according to the agreement. While the South decides on zonal sharing, let the North go and decide where their two will come from.
“While the North-East has chosen Ali Isa of the PDP, the North-West will present a NNPP candidate for the position of Deputy Minority Leader. The deputy minority whip and minority leader will both be from the South. Since the LP’s headquarters are in the South-East, the Deputy Whip will automatically go there. The Minority Leader will come from the South-South or the South-West.
However, another PDP member who spoke under the condition of anonymity argued that zones that had already produced House presiding officers should have been taken into consideration for caucus leadership positions.
The Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, is from the South-East, while the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, is from the North-West.
The lawmaker stated, “The Labour Party is being considered for a minority position, which may take the slot back to the South-East where the party is dominant. However, the South-East already has the Deputy Speaker. They’ll have two leadership positions as a result.
But because of its size in the minority caucus, the PDP can always get its way. The PDP has 117 participants. There are 35 in the Labour Party. Will they receive anything if we decide to hold a vote among ourselves? We do have some LP in Lagos, but there is no ranking (LP) member from the South-West at the moment. They only have South-Easterners in positions of authority.
Additionally, he suggested that the majority caucus take into account women for gender parity as well as the leadership zones that the minority lacks.
Kingsley Chinda (PDP/Rivers), Oluwole Oke (PDP/Osun), Bamidele Salam (PDP/Osun), and Unyime Idem (PDP/Akwa Ibom) are the candidates running for minority leader in the House at this time.
Tuesday’s PDP decision
The PDP has stated that it is willing to support any of its senators and representatives who are interested in running for the minority leader positions in both houses of the National Assembly.
This was said by Ibrahim Abdullahi, the party’s deputy national publicity secretary, during a phone conversation with one of our correspondents on Friday.
The APC, which has 211 and 57 seats in the National Assembly’s two chambers, is ahead of the PDP, which has 109 seats in the House of Representatives and 36 seats in the Senate.
The PDP is planning to nominate two of its members for the minority leadership positions because it has the most seats in both chambers among other opposition political parties.
Abdullahi responded, “Is it not automatic that we will field candidates for the minority leadership of both positions?” when asked about the development.
Timothy Osadolor, a member of the National Executive Committee and the party’s deputy national youth leader, explained how the two candidates would emerge.
Of course, as the largest opposition party, there is no doubt that the PDP will push its own to take what is rightfully its, but the party will only agree on which geopolitical zones to consider and which of its members in the Senate and House to push forward after the meeting, he said. “The National Working Committee will meet on Tuesday or Wednesday to discuss the positions you mentioned.
The party’s leadership would be ready to prevent such a development this time, he added, in light of what transpired in the 9th Senate when, despite the NWC’s decision to support Kingsley Chinda for the position of House Minority Leader, the PDP caucus in the House backed Ndudi Elumelu, who won the election.
The leadership of the party is aware that this can happen and is taking precautions against it. That experience will be useful this time, and the party will take a decision in the overall interest of the country, he continued. “Don’t forget what happened in the 9th Senate and the controversy occasioned by the events that threw up Ndudi Elumelu instead of Kingsley Chinda,” he said.
The NNPP has stated that its members are willing to run for minority leadership positions in the parliament if other opposition parties band together to support it in that endeavour.
The NNPP’s National Publicity Secretary, Agbo Major, told Saturday PUNCH in an exclusive interview that the party would be prepared to push its members to run for office if the opposition parties showed the necessary solidarity in the chambers.
I am not aware that we are in any alliance talks with any political party on the minority leadership of the Houses, but if other parties approach us and identify our members as having the leadership trait they think can he, we would be open to working with them. Does the NNPP have the numbers? Members often come together based on certain understandings, and I do know that sometimes, parties with shared values can come together and agree on what to do.
“APC cannot sway positions”
In a related development, Chidi Duru, the APC’s deputy national organising secretary, acknowledged that the party’s National Working Committee would have little to no input into the zoning of majority and minority leaders’ seats, as well as the positions of those leaders’ deputies and the chairs of important committees in the 10th National Assembly.
This was said by Duru in a phone conversation with one of our reporters on Friday.
“I would like to say this in two ways,” he said. “The ideal would be for the APC to be involved, but practise will not allow for it. In actuality, the party should midwife the process as well as the zoning for both chambers of the National Assembly, but you know that the party did not (have a say in the emergence of the Senate President, his deputy, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives). The President and his supporters were more motivated.
“The ideal would have been the same on this (majority and minority leadership positions). However, custom dictates that the President may take them (the leaders who will emerge), as concessions and interests would have been raised in order to rally support for the Senate president and the Speaker. However, that wasn’t the problem.
“In essence, what I’m saying is that the APC didn’t drive the leadership of the 10th Assembly, so the party won’t have a big say in the negotiations. How will you decide who gets what, then, if you didn’t oversee the process?”
An anonymous party official at the APC secretariat expressed concern that if concerted efforts were not made to fill the remaining principal offices, Senator Abdullahi Adamu’s body language and the party’s lack of interest could prove costly.
“I worry that the NWC’s and Adamu’s levity in assuming the top positions could cost the party those seats. I don’t see how another zoning arrangement can be imposed on the lawmakers once those positions have been taken over,” the source said.
