10th Assembly: Push for Senate President, Speaker slots intensifies

By Ikechukwu Okaforadi and Christiana Ekpa

Barely twelve weeks to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, all things being equal, the jostling over who emerges the President of Senate and Speaker, House of Representatives is already unfolding some interesting dimensions.

In both chambers, there is intense lobbying and horse trading currently ongoing, as lawmakers try to outwit one another ahead of the June 13 inauguration date. The National Assembly, in the past week, without allowing the dust raised by the 2023 general election to settle, became a centre of high-wire politics.

Our correspondents gathered that, just like when Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara emerged Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives respectively, lawmakers of both red and green chambers are clandestinely organising themselves into groups of like minds, though with no defining nomenclature yet.

•It’s my turn to be Senate President - Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu

On Tuesday, basking in the euphoria that the All Progressive Congress (APC) may likely zone the Senate President slot to the South East, as a measure for accommodation and healing, the current Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, who fielded questions from journàlists, said “It is my turn to be Senate President of Nigeria”, reminiscent of President elect, Ahmed Tinubu’s claim that ‘it is my turn to be President of Nigeria’.

Speaking further, the former Abia Governor said he was in support of the Muslim-Muslim Presidential ticket of the APC which has produced Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Kasim Shettima as President-Elect and Vice-Presidentelect respectively.

However, he denounced the possibility of having another Muslim as Senate President because he said it will not augur well for the country.

“In a secular state, you will need to accommodate interests and spread to be able to maintain the secularity of the country.

“I believed in a muslim-muslim presidency, but I do not believe in a Muslim Senate President because it will not go fine for our country”, he said.

Kalu said, “I will not be comfortable with a Muslim Senate President because this is a secular state.”

Kalu said he was ready to run for

Senate President if the party zones the position to his South East geopolitical zone because the party’s decision was supreme.

He said: “And So I will like the party to zone it to my zone, to my village in Igbere because President Tinubu needs people of high character to turn around the economy and work for the masses, make laws that will enable him to turn around the economy, because, I am an economic person, an entrepreneur.”

The former Abia state governor said he is the most qualified senator for the position based on Senate rules and his pedigree.

He said “The Senate has rules, let me be honest with you, if we practice true democracy, I should not be in contest with anybody, because apart from the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, and the Senate Leader, I am the next ranking member in the Senate going by the position I occupy today in the 9th Senate.

“It is virtually impossible that the Senate will elect or zone for a new member to the Senate. The Senate is an established institution that needs somebody with experience, someone with the skills that will be able to relate.”

He said President-elect Bola Tinubu, when sworn in would stand firm in giving good governance, and would also stand firm with the 10th assembly to amend the constitution to make for an electronic voting process and do away with paper works in elections.

•Senate Presidency is by competence, I’m most experienced - Sen. Barau Jibril

Swiftly following Orji Uzor Kalu’s briefing on Wednesday, Chairman Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Barau Jibril, apparently rejecting the claims of turn by turn made by Kalu, said the choice of who emerges Senate President is usually guided by competence and experience, rather than turn by turn.

According to the Kano North Senator, the choice of 10th Assembly Senate President should not be based on sentiments or zoning, adding that all the principal officers should also be selected based on competence and capacity.

Pointing out that he is the most qualified among the returning Senators and first timers, Barau urged his colleague to consider his competence rather than where he came from, asking “Do you now relegate competence for other sentiments?

“It does not work on sentiments; it works on your ability to do the job. It is the tradition all over the world. It is there in our rules and this rule is a product of our constitution.

“It is clearly in our Standing Rules too that aspiration or election for the Office of the Senate President shall be in accordance with ranking.

“And among those who are seeking to occupy that office as we speak, I am the highest ranking Senator. I’m the most experienced,” he said.

Barau explained that the person to be elected Senate President must be grounded in the parliamentary rules and procedures so as not to cause chaos during complex debates.

He promised to ensure that the interest of the nation is protected as Senate President.

•First time Senator-elect, Gov Dave Umahi, declares interest Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi yesterday also declared interest in contesting for the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly when he addressed newsmen at the new Government House, Centenary City, Abakaliki.

He said: “Let me also plead and request the leadership of APC and the President and Vice President-elect to please, for the sake of equity, justice, and fairness, zone the Senate Presidency to South East and the Speaker for the House of Representatives to the North West.

“This is for inclusiveness, and this will assure Nigerians that we are on the path for a total reunion. I am asking the Senate, National Assembly to set aside the rules so that we can get the best for the leadership of the Assembly.”

Urging the APC family to zone the Senate Presidency to the Southeast, Umahi said “I’m indicating interest.”

•Ahmed Lawan seeks to contest