ABUJA – Leadership crises at the National Assembly appeared set to abate yesterday, as senators of the majority party, All Progressives Congress, elected their leaders to join in piloting the red chamber in the next four years.
The
gathered that the elections which were conducted behind closed doors, saw Sen. Ali Ndume (Gombe South) beating Sen. Ahmed Lawan (Gombe North) to win the coveted Majority Leader of the Senate.
Also Senators Ahmed Sani-Yerima (Zamfara West), Olusola Adeyeye (Osun Central), Francis Asekhame Alimikhena (Edo North) were elected as Deputy Senate Leader, Chief Whip, and Deputy Chief Whip respectively.
This we gathered is contrary to the position of the APC in their earlier communication to Senate President Saraki, where Sen. Ahmed Lawan was nominated for Senate Majority Leader; George Akume for Deputy Majority Leader; Olusola Adeyeye (Osun Central) as Chief Whip; and Abu Ibrahim (Katsina South) as Deputy Whip.
Our sources volunteered that although Sen. Lawan the APC anointed was absent at the Noth East Senators Caucus meeting, some members of his Unity Forum who had pulled out to form “Non Align Senators” participated.
It is expected that the President of Senate, Sen. Bukola Saraki would announce the names of the remaining principal officers comprising those of the Majority and Minority at today’s sitting.
Meanwhile, attempts to nullify election of Sen. Ike Ekweremadu as Deputy President of Senate at yesterday plenary failed, while the new Senate Standing Orders (Amended) 2015 was also upheld.
As soon as the plenary begun, Sen. Gbenga Ashafa (Lagos East) came under Order 15 of the Senate Rules and drew attention to an alleged letter from the national chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Ouegun, to the Senate President, intimating the senate of those the party has nominated for Senate Leader and Chief Whip as well as their Deputies.
Citing rule 28(1) of the Senate Standing Order, Sen. Gbenga further argued that the APC letter was in proper and in order, and as such, it should be read, so as to put the matter to rest, stressing that principal officers should be nominated by the Majority.
“Yesterday (Tuesday, 24/06/15) most of the media houses carried a letter that 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”, Sen. Ashafa submitted.
?Sen. Bala Ibn Na’alla (Kebbi State) however disagreed with the submission and urged the Senate to ignore Ashafa’s position on the premise that the Senate rules has no provision that it’s principal officers be nominated by a political party.
He further asserted that what was allowed by the Senate Rule was for the Principal officers ?to emerge from the party that has majority in the Senate not that the party should nominate leaders for the Senate.
“By the ordinary principles of interpretation of documents that have been agreed by parties, the ordinary letters and words used must be given their effective meaning.
Order 28 used ‘from’, not ‘by’. What this seeks to do, is to deter the minority party from nominating the Majority Leader; to confer it on the All Progressives Congress which incidentally happens to have the highest number in the 8th Senate.
With due respect, the Point of Order raised by my bosom friend and brother, Ashafa, did not hold.
The Standing Rule went further to explain the reason why the Senate President shall not proceed to read that letter that was allegedly sent to this chamber by the APC. I submit that the Senate President cannot read the letter because this matter cannot stand”, Na’alla submitted.
Ruling on the matter, presiding Senate President Saraki simply declared: “I have listened to Senators Ashafa and Na’ala. Going by the rules and what has been said earlier, I think I will just note what Sen. Ashafa has said and we will leave the matter as that; and in that case, I rule you out of order”
Once the Ashafa’s case was put to rest, Sen. Kabiru Marafa (Zamfara) came up with what he described as illegal amendment of the Senate Standing Order to manipulate Sen. Ekweremadu to the office of Deputy Senate President.
According to him, the 8th Senate had been operating an amended version of the 2011 rule called “Rule 2015” without a valid amendment process as dictated by the Rules.
According to Marafa, there was never a time the 7th Senate amended the rule to giving details of the proposed amendment.
