SENATORS of the All Progressives Congress (APC), on Wednesday, defied the leadership of the party, by going ahead to name potential candidates for Senate leadership positions.

The APC had, in a letter written by its national chairman, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, addressed to Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, asked the lawmakers to name Senator Ahmad Lawan as Senate leader, George Akume as his deputy, Sola Adeyeye as chief whip and Abu Ibrahim as deputy whip.

But Saraki, who addressed a meeting of the APC caucus in the Senate on Tuesday, had suggested that zonal caucuses of the party should be made to produce the four leadership positions.

Though the meeting ended in near fisticuffs, it was gathered that most of the senators elected on the platform of the party had agreed with the position.
On Wednesday, it was gathered that the lawmakers dissolved into zonal caucuses to name likely candidates for the positions.

Sources in the Senate told the Nigerian Tribune that the position of the Senate President held sway, as senators of the APC eventually agreed on the four candidates that would emerge on the leadership posts.

It was gathered that following the intervention of governors of the party and words from some influential members, Saraki had called his loyalists and expressed readiness to work with Senator Lawan, but at the caucus meeting of the zone, Senator Ali Ndume emerged after a straw poll.

It was also learnt that Senator Ahmed Sani Yerima, a former governor of Zamfara State, offered to step down for Senator Bala Ibn Na'allah from Kebbi State as deputy leader.

Nigerian Tribune gathered that Senator Sola Adeyeye emerged as the consensus candidate for the post of Senate chief whip  from the South West, while Senator Francis Alimikhana from Edo State is to emerge as deputy chief whip.

It is expected that Saraki would announce the names of the candidates on the floor of the Senate.
It was gathered that a meeting of governors and caucuses helped in dousing the brewing tension in the party, as some former governors in the Senate concluded that Senator Sani Yerima should step down so that it would not seem as if the ex-governors had hijacked the Senate.

At the floor of the Senate on Wednesday, attempts by Senator Gbenga Ashafa to force the Senate president to read a correspondence from the APC national chairman were rebuffed, as he ruled him out of order.
Ashafa had raised Orders 15, 28(1), 29(1), 30 and 31(4) of the Senate Standing Orders and asked the Senate president to read a letter he said had been delivered to his office.

“Yesterday, most of the media houses published stories that a letter was written by the chairman of our great party, the APC, and we were expecting that that letter, which has been received in your office, will be read in order to see to the resolution of the party leadership tussle.

“I believe that that letter should have been read to the hearing of all senators here present. Perhaps, that will be the solution to the leadership tussle in the Senate,” he had said.

But Senator Ibn Na'Allah countered the motion, saying Order 28 of the Senate Standing Orders would not support Ashafa’s claims.

Saraki, thereafter, ruled Ashafa out of order, saying “I have listened to Senators Ashafa and Na'allah. Going by the rules and what has been said earlier, I think I will just note what Senator Ashafa has said and we will leave the matter as that. And in that case, I rule that out of order.”

The senators then dissolved to zonal caucuses where they named those expected to occupy the positions.


Govs meet Buhari

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari and governors elected on the platform of APC waded into the leadership crisis tearing apart members of the party in the National Assembly.

Senator Saraki had emerged the Senate President against Senator Ahmed Lawan, the preferred candidate of the party, just as Honourable Yakubu Dogara was elected the Speaker of the House of Representatives rather than Honourable Femi Gbajabiamila, handpicked by the party.

The president met with the governors from Tuesday night till the early hours of Wednesday, during which the governors expressed dismay over the lawmakers’ attitude in apparently shunning the position of the party in the distribution of the remaining party posts at both chambers of the National Assembly.

The Presidential Villa meeting, which started at about 11.00 p.m., held behind closed doors.
However, briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting, both Governor Rochas Okorocha of Imo State and Governor Adams Oshiomhonle of Edo State revealed that the governors had resolved to press for the implementation of the APC’s position in the sharing of the remaining posts and would want the lawmakers to abide by the party’s decision.
Okorocha explained that the governors were worried about the development in the National Assembly and, therefore, were at the Presidential Villa to confer with the president on the way forward.

Revealing that the APC governors had decided to invite the senators, he decried what he called “winners-take-all” attitude and stressed the need for all to be carried along.

Also speaking, Oshiomhole reiterated the need for APC senators to accept the decision of the party’s leadership in the sharing of the remaining party positions.

“Basically, what we are saying is that the senators should adopt the position of the party. We were all elected on the platform of the party. We are not just a collection of individuals. We are a political party and when the party has spoken, we must listen,” he said.

Governors from 16 of the 22 states controlled by the APC were in attendance at the meeting.
Absent were governors of Lagos, Zamfara, Ogun, Sokoto, Yobe and Bauchi states.

Reps caucuses reject Gbajabiamila, Monguno
The North Central and South East caucus of the House of Representatives, on Wednesday, rejected the list of principal officers proposed by the party.
Briefing newsmen, leader of the North Central caucus in the House, Honourable Ahman Pategi, said the party’s position was taken without due consultation with the caucus.

He added that they were shocked when the party stated in the said publications that they arrived at the decision after due consultation.

“We are also amazed by the directive of the party to the leadership of the House to take necessary action on the purported choice made by the party, which we see as a clear usurpation of the powers of the zonal caucuses and their members, as guaranteed by the constitution and the standing rules of the House of Representatives.
“We, therefore, strongly reject the purported selection by the party, which we see as being in conflict with the principle of the Federal Character, as enshrined in the constitution of the Federal Republic,” Pategi said.

To this end, he said that the North Central caucus believed that there should be fairness and equity in the selection of other principal positions of the House, following the emergence of both the speaker and deputy speaker.

Also, the South-East caucus of the APC in the House rejected the party’s arrangement in choosing its principal officers, protesting that the leadership of the party, with the arrangement, excluded the zone.

Addressing newsmen on behalf of the caucus, the duo of Honourables Chukwukere Ikechukwu and Chike Okoroafor advised the leadership of the party to go back to the drawing board and ensure that all the zones were adequately represented.

http://tribuneonlineng.com/content/apc-senators-defy-party-fill-leadership-posts

APC,, SARAKI,, OYEGUN,, BUHARI,, AHMED LAWAN,, UNITY FORUM,, LIKE MINDS,, una just the generate millions for media houses being in the news daily

I am still looking for the interest of the average Nigerian in all of this scheming...

Edited.

Ambitions can make you Senate president, but cannot keep you there.
omo Toni iya ohun oni Su omo na koni fi oju kan oru

spako4:
Ambitions can make you Senate president, but cannot keep you there.
omo Toni iya owu oni Su omo na koni fi oju kan oru

He played his hand too early in the game, and on top of that, he's still proving to be stubborn. Now everyone knows how desperate and ambitious he is. He'll be easily tamed.

What do you expect of an opposition party whose future looked bright and so many decampees joined it from the ruling party to emerge victorious?
Obviously APC had not blended well when it won,hence the many anti-party activities!
Unfortunately it has to learn to manage these anti-party activities till the next polls.

bodejohn:
I am still looking for the interest of the average Nigerian in all of this scheming...

You will look till 2019 when they'll return to beg for votes & the circle will begin again...

Seems Saraki has decided to make the upper chamber his mini fiefdom,but APC should make sure he doesn't get away with this plan of his, he didn't get a senatorial seat on his own name only but with the party's assent....


He should be allowed to leave if he wants to & the chips fall wherever they may,cos his open defiance will not do the party any good in the long run..

Presently he enjoys no goodwill from well meaning nigerians but the bigots & ethnic warlords who have no sense of decency..

Don't know why I have that feeling that he is enjoying his last taste of political relevance.

.....

House of criminals! They've forgotten their primary assignment just like that

dustmalik:

He played his hand too early in the game, and on top of that, he's still proving to be stubborn. Now everyone knows how desperate and ambitious he is. He'll be easily tamed.

so who will tame him? Buhari abi? Or tinubu? Siddon there, there is an ongoing power change going on in apc and the gladiators u feel are mighty and supreme are gradually been pushed out. Buhari has no choice but to work peacefully with the senate leadership if he wishes to accomplish anything meaningful. Once committees are set up ,all other senators opposing saraki will fall into line . In politics it is all about interest and not sentiments or emotions.

Thanks to Sir Saraki!
Other zones nor go CHOP?

First dem say na CHANGE!
Now, fight efrywhia!
APC na real DEMONIC PARTY I swia!!!!

saraki and his loyalists are just deceiving themselves, they defied a straw poll conducted by the party leadership and now they want to use the same straw poll for the principal officers to emerge.If i am a Senator in the unity forum,i will not accept the outcome of any straw poll.It is either saraki read the names sent to him by the party, or should kindly walkout of the party.

Jorussia:
saraki and his loyalists are just deceiving themselves, they defied a straw poll conducted by the party leadership and now they want to use the same straw poll for the principal officers to emerge.If i am a Senator in the unity forum,i will not accept the outcome of any straw poll.It is either saraki read the names sent to him by the party, or should kindly walkout of the party.

Sefini. A gauntlet has been thrown down, he either read the names or be expell from the party. Oh, how I love the way the party publicly made his demand known.

At this point, the party have nothing to lose.

luvmijeje:


Sefini. A gauntlet has been thrown down, he either read the names or be expell from the party. Oh, how I love the way the party publicly made his demand known.

At this point, the party have nothing to lose.

Lol the principal officials have already been elected and would be announced today. APC can either expel them and risk becoming a minority in parliament or lick their wounds and move on. The party has everything to lose

dustmalik:

He played his hand too early in the game, and on top of that, he's still proving to be stubborn. Now everyone knows how desperate and ambitious he is. He'll be easily tamed.

Tamed by who exactly Tinubu, oyegun or PMB The worst that will happen is APC getting the tambuwal treatment very early and that will be a big slap on their face...

I would advice they make do with what's on ground now and move on, with saraki having the backing of all PDP senators gives him the power to call the shot the way he likes...

In as much that I am not in support of imposition of candidates by any political party, the two main candidates in this power tussle, being Sen lawal and Akume needs to be compensated with a juicy senate leadership position, if not, this may just ignite a new crisis prone Senate just like the time of Okadigbo, Ewerem, Wabara etc

Jorussia:
saraki and his loyalists are just deceiving themselves, they defied a straw poll conducted by the party leadership and now they want to use the same straw poll for the principal officers to emerge.If i am a Senator in the unity forum,i will not accept the outcome of any straw poll.It is either saraki read the names sent to him by the party, or should kindly walkout of the party.

Saraki walking out of the party this early sends a wrong message, meaning APC can't manage its affairs properly...

luvmijeje:

Sefini. A gauntlet has been thrown down, he either read the names or be expell from the party. Oh, how I love the way the party publicly made his demand known.
At this point, the party have nothing to lose.

APC has everything to lose, losing control of the senate to PDP this early protend a great danger for PMB and whatever happens in the senate will sure happen in the house of rep...

I would advice APC to thread with care so they won't be playing into the hands of PDP(that is if they have not played into their hands already)...

Saraki's hobby now is to rule one out of order.
Saraki ruling senators out of order since June 2015.

cktheluckyman:

Lol the principal officials have already been elected and would be announced today. APC can either expel them and risk becoming a minority in parliament or lick their wounds and move on. The party has everything to lose

If Saraki goes ahead to defy the party, APC will still become a minority party. They will lose more if Saraki is not expell from the party. They must put their foot down NOW when they still have support of the majority.

Saraki, saraki, saraki! how many times did i called u? OK no answer me. lol. there's no movie without an END.

.




Saraki remember He who laughs last... Laugh best



We're patiently waiting oooooooo time will tells





.

It's a welcome development. Next time the party should do well not to interfere and stop choosing favourites. Leave the adults to choose for themselves.

And d drama continues

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

I thought Nigeria was finally going to get it right,alas, it was all a pipedream.

Shall we wait for another messiah?

APC is a confused party.

And Saraki takes his tomfoolery to another level- talk about a dog not heeding its master's whistle.

The man Saraki has risen so high he's gonna hit the ground with a very large thud people miles away would hear it, and when he does he'd be lucky walking with a permanent limp- I see him crawling permanently.

Dude is just disgusting.

Beginning of the End for those unloyal elements.
But seriously, Oyegun should resign.

that's actually good news

Senate Power tussle thrash am not interested in all that... All am interested in is PMB and how he delivers good governance...

Apc is a useless party, with time u will soon find out pdp is d best party