Strong indication emerged Thursday in Abuja that the biggest of the minority political parties in both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may not have its way on choices of minority leaders at both chambers.
In a strategic move towards blocking the choices of PDP for the minority leadership positions of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the immediate past governor of Rivers state, Nyesom Wike, held marathon meeting with the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio in his office.
Wike, who was in black suit, left the Senate wing of the National Assembly at about 6:30pm in the convoy of Godswill Akpabio, Deputy President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau and other senators like Salihu Mustapha (APC Kwara Central), Jibril Isah (APC Kogi East ) as well as the recently appointed Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel.
A highly placed source at the meeting, who pleaded for anonymity, told Blueprint that Wike’s plan with the leadership of the Senate is to have a minority leader not chosen by PDP but by his own faction within the party.
According to the source, though the leadership of both the Senate and the House of Representatives are being very careful with the plan but they at the same time believe that if Wike succeeds in factionalising the caucuses of PDP at both chambers, having unpopular minority leaders from their folds is possible.
“Having assisted APC to win presidential election in Rivers state in February, supported the aspirations of the now elected four presiding officers of the 10th National Assembly at inauguration last week, making his loyalists among the elected federal lawmakers from PDP is his plan now.
“He is very serious on the plan and getting the required support from leadership of the National Assembly as well as membership of the other minority political parties in both the Senate and the House of Representatives,” said the source.
As provided for by relevant laws and rules of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, aside the two presiding officers positions, eight principalship positions are also to be occupied by elected lawmakers on the platforms of both the ruling and minority political parties.
The four principalship positions in the Senate meant for elected lawmakers on the platform of the ruling party are the Senate Leader, Deputy Leader, Chief Whip and Deputy Whip.
The four principalship positions for elected senators on the platforms of the minority political parties are Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip and Deputy Minority Whip.
Membership configuration in the Senate shows that APC has 59 Senators, PDP 36, Labour Party 8, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) 2, Social Democratic Party (SDP) 2, APGA 1 and YPP 1.