Senate Minority Leader: Tambuwal, Dickson Lead Opposition To Stop Wike

Some former governors in the Senate led by Senators Aminu Tambuwal, Serikae Dickson, and Adamu Aliero among others, are leading opposition senators to resist an alleged plot by the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike to foist a minority leader on them.

The move by the senators is coming after Wike successfully brought his ally, Kingsley Chinda as minority leader of the House of Representatives.

The move by the opposition senators came after Wike met with Senate President Godswill Akpabio last Thursday for hours within the Senate building.

GWG.ng reports that the opposition in the Senate is dominated by the PDP which has 36 Senators with LP, NNPP and SDP having 8, two and two senators respectively. YPP and APGA have one senator each.

The four principal officer positions reserved for the opposition parties in the Senate are minority leader, deputy minority leader, minority whip and deputy whip.

The meeting held at the National Assembly lasted for several hours. Wike left the parliament around 6:30pm without talking to newsmen.

But the PDP which has the highest minority seats with 36 senators vowed to resist any plot by the ruling APC or other interested groups to foist a minority leadership on the Senate.

Also, lawmakers from the opposition caucus said they were aware of moves by forces inside and outside the Senate to divide the minority parties and foist a compromised leadership on them. They, however, assured that the plot would fail.

Speaking with Daily Trust on Sunday, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said Nigerians should rest assured that the party along with its senators will install a minority leadership that will ensure separation of powers, and checks and balances.  He said, “Our Party is a party of process and we follow our rules. On the issue of minority leadership in the Senate, the PDP is in touch with its senators in line with our democratic practice.

“What is paramount for us as a party is to have a minority leadership that will ensure a robust opposition in the Senate and in the general interest of Nigerians.

“We will ensure the principle of checks and balances,” he said.

Earlier on Saturday, opposition senators vowed to resist any attempt to foist “compromised leadership” on them by forces within and outside the National Assembly.

The lawmakers, in a joint statement said the minority caucus would select its leaders after consultation with their respective political parties without undue interference from anti-democratic forces.

They emphasized that no senator has yet been endorsed or selected for any minority position.

The statement was jointly signed by Mohammed Adamu Aliero, Henry Seriake Dickson, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Abdul Ningi, Patrick Abba Moro, Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi, Sumaila Kawu and Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah.

It said, “It has come to the notice of the Minority Political Parties in the Senate of an attempt by forces inside and outside the Senate to divide the Minority Parties and foist a pliant and compromised leadership on them.

“We have pledged to work constructively with the new senate leadership and the executive branch to deliver good governance to the Nigerian people. We consequently hereby advise and caution that they should not aid any group inside or outside the Senate to divide and destabilise the minority parties and the Senate institution.

“Senators of the minority parties would meet when the Senate reconvenes and, in consultation with our respective political parties, would select its leaders without undue interference from anti-democratic forces within or outside the Senate.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no Senator has yet been endorsed or selected for any minority position as this would await due process as agreed by all minority parties in their last meeting.

“Attempts to foist a one-party dictatorship would be resisted and would fail.

“We call on all members of the minority political parties to work together in unity to defend the democratic institution of the Senate and Nigeria.”

With additional reports from Daily Trust

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