• Saraki positions Ubah as plan B
• Ministerial slots tear party apart in Enugu
Bukola Saraki is on the cusp of clinching the Senate presidency when the eighth National Assembly is inaugurated on June 6.
But the top echelon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is wary of him for diverse reasons.
Saraki, 52, served out two terms as Governor of Kwara State, during which he also doubled as Nigerian Governors Forum (NGF) Chairman. In 2011, he was elected Senator on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on which plank he also served as Governor.
Later, he joined a breakaway faction of the PDP, which renamed itself the new PDP, and defected to the APC, which enlarged the column of the APC to 22 senators, 37 House of Representatives members, and five governors.
Power equation
In the current power equation of the APC – a merger of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), and the new PDP – Saraki does not hold a key position despite playing a significant role in the party’s victory in the presidential poll.
President-elect Muhammadu Buhari is from the CPC; Vice President-elect Yemi Osinbajo (ACN); APC Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun (ANPP).
The new PDP block in the APC feels it is its right to be given the Senate presidency.
Saraki faces Akume, Lawan
However, Saraki faces Senators George Akume (ACN) and Ahmed Lawan (ANPP).
Lawan is seen as a candidate of APC national leader, Bola Tinubu.
But many senators are said to be uncomfortable with a Senate president who will be taking instructions from Bourdillion, the residence of Tinubu.
“We want an independent minded person like Saraki who can challenge even his party’s leadership. Not a ‘yes sir’ man,” a PDP senator-elect who does not want his name in print told TheNiche.
A source in the Saraki camp, who pleaded anonymity, said his support base has expanded lately to include his former governor colleagues in the PDP and APC and some APC senators who do not want Tinubu to have his way.
65 senators back Saraki
Last week, Saraki loyalists held a meeting at Transcorp Hilton Hotel in Abuja, attended by 65 APC and PDP senators and senators-elect.
The attendees included Governors Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Theodore Orji (Abia), former Governor Sam Egwu (Ebonyi, now Senator-elect), Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South) and Senator-elect Andy Ubah (Anambra South).
If all the attendees agree to vote Saraki, his victory is as good as given. There are 109 members in the Senate. To win the Senate presidency, a candidate needs a simple majority vote of 55.
Senator-elect Dino Melaye (Kogi) confirmed that the meeting was attended by many PDP and APC Senators and Senators-elect, including Sabo Nakudu, Mohammed Gobil, Ali Ndume, Danjuma Goje, Binta Garba, Andy Ubah, Shehu Sani, and Aliyu Wamakko.
“The meeting was a mixture of PDP and APC senators. Forty APC and 25 PDP senators were in attendance. We resolved that we have to produce a senator who is made by senators.
“Eighty per cent of senators from Lawan’s North East attended the meeting and endorsed Saraki,” Melaye disclosed.
But Tinubu wants Lawan as Senate President, and sources in the APC said he may compel the party to zone the post to the North East, a master stroke of scheming out Saraki, who is from the North Central.
Ubah as plan B
Saraki, it was learnt, has positioned Ubah (PDP) as his fall back plan to upset the arrangement of the APC, a move believed to have the blessing of Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha.
The Saraki camp reasoned that the move will be an easy sell among South East senators and APC senators who want to resist Tinubu’s imposition. It will also excite the PDP to have the control of the Senate.
A source mobilising support for Saraki said the 65 senators who attended the meeting have unofficially endorsed the plan B.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed; and Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu, did not respond to several telephone calls seeking their comment.
Rift in Enugu
In another development, the rift in the Enugu State APC has taken a new dimension as a group of members has submitted another list of ministerial nominees to Buhari.
APC zonal spokesman, Osita Okechukwu, is the leader of the group.
The state party is engulfed in crisis, following the insistence of Enugu North (Nsukka) for a ministerial appointment.
The rift became public when APC National Vice Chairman (South East), Emma Eneukwu, reportedly slapped its governorship candidate, Okey Ezea, during a brawl over the ministerial job.
Ezea argued that Nsukka zone must produce a minister.
Those opposed, including Eneukwu, countered that since the zone produced Governor-elect Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, the ministerial slot should go to Enugyu East or West.
Ezea is from Enugu North (Nsukka), Eneukwu from Enugu West (Udi). Both are said to be interested in the ministerial post.
Ezea’s argument is based on past trend where a zone produced both governor and minister. He cited Enugu West which produced Governor Sulivan Chime and Power Minister, Chinedu Nebo.
But Eneukwu is not alone in the condemnation of the move by Enugu North to corner the posts.
Another group led by Second Republic National Youth Leader of the defunct Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP) and former South East zonal National Chairman of the defunct ANPP, Anike Nwoga, is also up against it.
Nwoga (Enugu East), told TheNiche in a telephone interview that his group, which comprises leading state APC members, has submitted three names from the three zones to Buhari.
He gave the names as Okechukwu (Enugu West), Onyemuche Nnamani (Enugu East), and Chris Eze (Enugu North).
“The list we submitted does not only contain names of persons from the three zones, it is also, more importantly, the names of core members of the APC. This is a clear departure from the parochial posture of those who drew the list that sparked off this problem,” Nwoga said.
“The painful thing is not just that the first list contained names of three persons all from Nsukka zone, but those who prepared the list are not bonafide members of the APC in the state.
“The man who signed the statement from the Nsukka Peoples Assembly, Professor Ocho, is a card carrying member of the PDP.
“Why should PDP chieftains who waged a vicious war against those of us in the APC and went ahead to rig the last election in favour of their party, turn around now to decide who should get what in an APC government?”