Senators loyal to Senate President, Bukola Saraki has vowed to resist alleged moves by the APC National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and other party chieftains to impose Senators Ahmad Lawan and George Akume as the Senate leader and deputy, respectively.  

Senators Ahmed Sani-Yerima and Danjuma Goje specifically declared that the plans to fill the remaining four principal-officer positions with ranking members of the Senate Unity Forum was totally unacceptable.

Reports say the APC leadership had allegedly been perfecting an arrangement which would see Lawan emerging as the Senate leader and Senator George Akume as his deputy.

The pro-Lawan group, which has the backing of Tinubu, was also said to have picked Professor Olusola Adeyeye (Osun) as the Senate Chief Whip, while Senator Abu Ibrahim from Katsina State would be his deputy.

But Senator Sani-Yerima, a former Senate Deputy Minority Leader, and Goje, a former governor of Gombe State, insisted that the pro-Saraki Like Minds senators would resist imposition of principal officers on the chamber.

“As far as I’m concerned, the party cannot impose leadership on us. It is unconstitutional and against the rules of the Senate," Sen. Yerima said.

“The Senate Majority Leader; Deputy Majority Leader; Senate Chief Whip; Deputy Chief Whip were elected by their zonal caucuses in the Seventh Senate and the case of the Eighth Senate cannot be different.

“The best thing the party can do, given the circumstances, is to give us directives. Any attempt to impose will be resisted and this will further divide the party.”

He also, insisted that the party must follow due process, stressing that the Senate Presidency of Senator Bukola Saraki was committed to protecting the interests of President Muhammadu Buhari.


Culled from PUNCH