PUNCH
As the jostle for the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly intensifies, some senators have commenced moves to prevent a crisis by conceding the Senate presidency to the ruling All Progressives Congress, which has majority of members in the Red chamber.
This is coming as indications emerged on Saturday that the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, might cut short his foreign trip and return to the country on Monday to take charge of things with regards to the National Assembly leadership tussle.
Similarly, aspirants jostling to succeed Femi Gbajabiamila as the Speaker of the House of Representatives are said to be employing conventional and unconventional methods to gain the support of their colleagues, especially those who are newly elected and will take their seats in June upon the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.
The senator representing Benue-South in the upper chamber, Abba Moro, noted that although it was true that there was no stated rule that the party with the majority of members must lead the Senate, it had become a convention to leave the leadership to the party with the majority members.
The presiding officers in the Senate are produced by the majority caucus made up of the party with the highest members, and the minority caucus consisting members of the other parties.
According to results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the February 25 National Assembly election, the APC won 57 Senate seats, while the major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, has 29 seats.
The All Progressives Grand Alliance has one seat; Labour Party, eight; New Nigeria People’s Party, two; Social Democratic Party, two; and the Young Progressive Party, one seat.
