Following the outcome of yesterday’s meeting between the Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, and the President-elect, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the leadership of the 10th Senate, the former Lagos State Governor is reported to have chosen the former Abia Governor as his preferred candidate.
The President-elect held a closed-door meeting with the Senate Chief Whip, who arrived at his private Asokoro residence in Abuja at about 5:31 pm on Wednesday, decked in white attire and red native Hat after which he was ushered into a meeting with Tinubu.
It was reported that previously during the same day the president-elect initially met with the leadership of the APC, party National Assembly members, and other stakeholders in furtherance of consultation and lobbying over the zoning of principal positions of the 10th Assembly.
Suspecting inducements and its lurking danger Tinubu had during the meeting outrightly rejected proposals made by some members of the leadership of the APC and three South West Senators for the Senate Presidency to be zoned to the South-South.
According to a competent source who was privy to what transpired at the meeting named the South-West Senators; Tokunbo Abiru, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola( Yayi), and Opeyemi Bamidele as those who mounted pressure on the president-elect to consider Akpabio as the consensus candidate.
The source, a Senator-Elect who begged for anonymity, said that the Senators acting on inducements and promises made to them by Akpabio told the President-elect that the South West is supporting Akpabio for Senate President.
However, Tinubu at the meeting which was held at the Defence House rebuffed their advances and reiterated his stance for fairness and justice, noting that the nation stands on the tripod- Hausa, Igbo, and Yoruba.
Occasioned by the development, Tinubu later held the said behind-closed-door meeting with the Senate Chief Whip at his private Asokoro residence which lasted for 30 minutes, during the meeting Tinubu told those present at the meeting his preference for Orji Uzor Kalu citing Trust, being a bridge builder, their long years of relationship and his ability to partner with him in delivering on his electoral promises.
Furnished with knowledge of the discussions at the meeting, the source disclosed that Tinubu gave reasons for support in which he recounted how Kalu publicly campaigned for him in the media and his open support for the Muslim Muslim ticket.
“Our President-elect in his wisdom, rejected pressures by some members of the Party Leadership and the Southwest Senators for the zoning of the Senate presidency to the South-South.
“There’s no truth in all that was reported in the media that the President and the NWC have settled for South-South, the President only insisted that the position should be zoned to the South region and expressed his preference for Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.
“Kalu is the only candidate who our President-elect can trust, Akpabio has records of betrayal, desecration, and disrespect for the National Assembly. We haven’t forgotten the roles he played as Niger Delta Minister when he frustrated the forensic Audit of the Niger Delta Development Commission. Our President-elect is fully aware that Akpabio becoming Senate President will cause a lot of embarrassment for the executive arm, the source revealed.
Also speaking, another Senator-elect played down the three adding that they were only executing the job they were paid to do, “ Those three are just pursuing their personal interests. Akpabio promised Yayi Chairman of the Appropriation committee and also promised the other two juicy committees.
“So it’s basically about their interests not for Tinubu’s success or the unity of Nigeria. Is the opinion of three senators greater than the opinion of 12 senators? We have endorsed Senator Kalu and Senator Musa as our preferred presiding officers and we shall deliver them on June 13” -the source said.
However, speaking to newsmen at the conclusion of Wednesday’s meeting Kalu said his visit was to officially welcome and felicitate with the president-elect on his return from a successful vacation in Europe.
According to him, the successful return of the president-elect attested to the comments that he made on Friday, in which he dismissed claims that Tinubu is not well and receiving medical treatment.
“I told Nigerians that Tinubu is not sick and that he will return soon and a few days after I made that comment, today you can see for yourself that he is here.
So this shows that our president-elect is fit and fully ready for the Job of leading Nigerians just like I said.
“I just came to congratulate and officially welcome him back to the country and we are ready to support him for the task ahead,” Kalu said.
Kalu said that they discussed some key issues on the future of the country.
On his ambition for the Senate Presidency, Kalu said that he remained the best candidate among other contenders to partner with Tinubu in the overall interest of the country.
“I am the best among all other candidates, I have the capacity to unite Nigeria and I am the best to work with our president-elect for the best interest of Nigeria.
“Nigerians need to feel the impact of our party. I have the integrity, honesty and experience to lead the senate,” Kalu said.
Tinubu and Kalu were former governors of Lagos state and Abia respectively, from 1999 to 2007 with a relationship spanning over 30 years.
While Tinubu served as a senator, Kalu is the current senator representing Abia North Senatorial District in the ninth senate.
