10th N/Assembly: 7 lawmakers eyeing the senate president's seat – Newstrends
Connect with us

Politics

10th N/Assembly: 7 lawmakers eyeing the senate president’s seat

Published

on

Godswill Akpabio and Orji Uzor Kalu

10th N/Assembly: 7 lawmakers eyeing the senate president’s seat

On Monday, May 29, 2023, Buhari’s government will come to an end and Tinubu’s administration will be inaugurated.

As the president-elect prepares to take over and oversee the affairs of the country, many legislative members-elect in the senate and house of representatives are also making moves to occupy leadership positions in the national assembly.

As things currently stand, the following seven politicians have shown interest in the senate president’s seat.

The representative of the Abia North Senatorial district, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is one of the politicians seeking to succeed Ahmed Lawan, the incumbent senate president.

The lawmaker said he would like the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the senate presidency to his region, southeast because the president-elect needs people of high character to turn around the economy and work for the masses.

READ ALSO:

Kalu believes he is qualified to lead the 10th national assembly because he’s one of the most experienced lawmakers in the 9th assembly.

Senator Jibrin Barau, the lawmaker representing Kano north senatorial district is a fourth timer in the National Assembly. He is currently the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation.

Aside from positioning himself for the topmost office in the national assembly, some APC chieftains have been campaigning for him to be elected as Senate President of the 10th Assembly.

They argued that since the president and vice-president-elect are from southwest and northeast regions respectively, the senate presidency can be zoned to the northwest because the region produced the highest votes for the Tinubu/Shettima ticket.

The argument for Godswill Akpabio’s senate presidency is anchored on the principle of national unity and fairness.

The former governor of Akwa-Ibom state who is also a former Senate Minority Leader presents himself as one of the experienced and qualified candidates for the seat.

Recently, different groups have adopted and backed Akpabio’s senate presidential ambition.

On Wednesday, March 22, 2023, the governor of Ebonyi state, Dave Umahi declared his interest in the senate presidency.

Like Akpabio, Umahi believes zoning the position to his region would be in the interest of equity, justice and fairness.

The current leader of the 9th national assembly, Ahmad Lawan is again in the race to retain his seat.

The lawmaker representing Yobe North is one of the ranking senators who have been in the red chamber since 2007.

The 64-year-old politician succeeded Senator Bukola Saraki in 2019, but he’s not ready to relinquish the seat for anyone as he vies to remain the leader of the senate till 2027.

The former governor of Zamfara state, Abdulaziz Yari has joined the race for the office of senate president of the 10th assembly.

Yari declared his interest in March 2023, arguing that his region, the northwest gave the APC the highest number of votes in the February 25 presidential election.

Yari will represent the people of Zamfara west senatorial district in the 10th national assembly.

The senator-elect for the Imo west senatorial district, Osita Izunaso has been touted as one of the politicians that are qualified to occupy the senate president’s seat.

Many groups in the southeast have called on the APC and the president-elect to zone the senate presidency to the southeast for Tinubu’s government to achieve ethnic balancing, and inclusiveness.

The groups which back Izunaso argued that the lawmaker is the only one who has served the ruling party as a pioneer National Organizing Secretary.

Politics

Senator Adeola to INEC: Adopt NIN, driving licence as voter’s card like Ogun 

Published

on

Senator Adeola to INEC: Adopt NIN, driving licence as voter’s card like Ogun 

 

 

Senator representing Ogun West, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to consider alternative means of identification during voting.

Adeola, who’s the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation,

pointed out that accepting multiple forms of ID for voting will make the electoral process more inclusive and transparent.

He praised the use of National Identity Numbers and Driving Licences as voter identification at the ongoing Ogun State local government election, local government election, calling it a strategy to prevent voter disenfranchisement and ensure everyone can participate.

The Senator, who voted at the U.A.M.C. Polling Unit in Pahayi, Ilaro, noted that INEC can address challenges associated with the Permanent Voter’s Card and promote a smoother voting experience for Nigerians by exploring alternative identification methods.

He said, “I want to strongly believe that if we mitigate against this idea of disenfranchising people from casting their vote for one reason or the other, I will believe that it is not a bad idea to use other means of identification.

“The only thing is that there should be a lot of processes into this that will make it more legal, and that can show to the whole world the level of using it transparent. As far as that process is concerned, this will convince Nigerians that going forward into the future, aside from the PVCs, we can also use other legal means of identification, like a passport or the NIN card.”

Continue Reading

Politics

Ondo gov: Aiyedatiwa leads in 13 LGAs, result collation resumes 5am

Published

on

Ondo gov: Aiyedatiwa leads in 13 LGAs, result collation resumes 5am

 

Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the candidate of the All Progressive Congress in Saturday’s governorship election Ondo State is leading in all the 13 local governments so far declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Aiyedatiwa is also the incumbent governor of the state.

The collation of the remaining five council areas would resume by 5am today (Sunday), the collation officer, Prof Olayemi Akinwunmi, said Saturday night.

Akinwunmi, who announced the recess, said it was to allow for the arrival of results from the remaining local governments.

He said, “We have five more local governments but we are going to take our recess now until 5am to receive from Akure North, Okitipupa and Odigbo, then Ilaje and Eseodo. We resume at 5am for these local governments.”

Continue Reading

Politics

INEC replaces LP candidate hours to Ondo gov election

Published

on

INEC replaces LP candidate hours to Ondo gov election

In less than 24 hours to the Ondo governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission announced that Olusola Ebiseni would be replaced with Olorunfemi Festus as the Labour Party candidate.

INEC stated on X on Friday that the replacement of Mr Ebiseni with Mr Festus followed a judgment of the Court of Appeal.

The appellate court ordered INEC to restore the name of Festus as the Labour Party candidate in the Saturday election.

INEC was served with the certified true copy of the judgment on Thursday, which set aside the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.

READ ALSO:

“The FHC, in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/1105/2024, had on Sept. 27 ordered the commission to accept Ebiseni as the candidate of the LP for the 2024 Ondo state governorship election.

“However, in the appeal with reference number CA/ABJ/CV/1172/2024 filed by the LP, the Court of Appeal, Abuja Division, struck out the judgment of the FHC for lack of jurisdiction.

“In obedience to the court order, the commission has restored Festus, whose name was first published as the LP candidate for the 2024 Ondo Governorship election and uploaded the same to our website for public information,” INEC said.

 

INEC replaces LP candidate hours to Ondo gov election

(NAN)

Continue Reading

Trending