By Emeka Alex Duru
Less than two months to the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly, the tussle for Senate leadership, is assuming widening dimensions that may, once again, cause a rift in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Such was the case in 2015, when Bukola Saraki emerged Senate President and Yakubu Dogara, House of Representatives Speaker, against the Party’s desire.
The shocking development had dogged the relationship between the APC and the duo till they eventually left the party for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Similar scenario seems about to play out in the emerging national Assembly, especially the Senate. As in 2015, when the APC eventually lost out in its choice, it has again, thrown up Ahmed Lawan, as its preferred candidate for the post.
National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, unveiled the party’s stance on the matter, in a meeting with NASS members elected on its ticket, last month. That, ordinarily, should have settled the situation, given also that APC, with over 60 senators-elect out of the 109 senate membership, can be said to have a comfortable majority.
But that seems the genesis of the problem. Even with a comfortable majority, snippets from the party, indicate that all may not yet be well with the party.
Ali Ndume on rampage
While, for instance, Oshiomhole was issuing directives to the senators-elect to line behind Lawan, Ali Ndume, from Borno South, was also indicating interest on the post. Though the APC spokesman, Lanre Issa-Onilu, had laboured to diminish Ndume’s aspiration on the logic of supremacy of the party, the situation may not be as ordinary as he thinks. For one, Ndume, by his antecedents, is not one to go down without a push when he has his eyes on any agenda.
He is on record as one of, if not the first politician to take on and triumph over the then governor and godfather of Borno politics, Senator Ali Modu Sheriff. Ndume was then in the House of Representatives but had eyes on the Senate, not only to be a senator for Borno South but for the position of the Minority Leader, which Sheriff also had interest in.
On account of the clash of interest, Ndume, who was born a Christian but later converted to Islam, was denied ticket for the office by the then All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP). Peeved at the development, he crossed over to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and won the election for the upper law making house. Sheriff, however, lost, even as a governor. In the build-up to the 2015 politics, he was wooed to the APC by Governor Kashim Shettima.
In the Eighth NASS, he was among the senators that teamed up with Saraki to go against the APC rules in the emergence of the senate leadership. For his efforts, he was made the Senate Leader. Along the line however, he fell out with his erstwhile camp and would not mind that costing him his position.
When therefore, he indicated his intention for the senate presidency this time around and attempts being made to hush him down, many see him going all out to actualise it, even if it would earn him sanctions from the APC. He has actually, not dropped his rebellious traits.
Lawan in last-ditch effort
Lawan, the Senate Leader, is equally not letting the opportunity elude him again, or so, it appears. Aside the advertised support for him by Oshiomhole, he is also said to be making the rounds, selling his candidacy to his colleagues. At the last count, he seems to have secured endorsement from Governor Shettima – a feat that is seen as a huge blow on Ndume.
Shettima had in a forum in Abuja, during the week, openly thrown his weight behind Lawan, urging APC members to demonstrate loyalty and do the same.
He said: “I hail from the same state with the Distinguished Senator Ali Ndume and I appreciate the fact that politics is local, but politics is also national.
“I fully align the aspiration of my party with the aspiration of President Muhammadu Buhari. By the grace of God, we are going to mobilise all our goodwill to see that we are fully on board. We are for Senator Ahmed Lawan. We are for party discipline that allows everyone to aspire to political offices.
“We believe that we must respect the party. All of us won on platforms. There is no provision for independent candidates. I don’t know whether anyone has won on an independent platform.”
That may seem a morale booster for the four-term lawmaker from Yobe State. But his problems lie with his colleagues in APC and the members of the opposition. While he programmes his aspiration on the need to preside over a senate that would work harmoniously with President Muhammadu Buhari, his fellow senators insinuate that he is too close to the president and some leaders of the APC that the independence of the legislature may be compromised under him. This fear derives from the hawkish disposition of the Buhari presidency which many say, without a strong legislature to hold it in check, has the tendency of gravitating towards civilian autocracy.
“Lawan is too close and too sold to the executive to guarantee the independence of the legislature and by extension, our fragile democracy. He may trade off any of us to retain his position as Senate President. He will also cave in to the presidency and external interference, easily. We do not want a repeat of the Evan(s) Enwerem era in which the then president Olusegun Obasanjo, sought to dictate to the Senate from his Aso Rock bedroom. We have the fear that Lawan may do so under Buhari. This is the problem with people too desperate for any particular office”, volunteered an APC ranking senator from the south-west, who pleaded anonymity.
Even his colleagues in the North are said to be concerned that his candidacy is being vigorously promoted by Oshiomhole and former Lagos State governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, rather than Buhari, with whom he is supposed to work with.
They see him as a mole by the Tinubu tendency of the party to undermine the zone ahead 2023 politics. His colleagues in PDP, are also said to be quite uncomfortable with him, on account of what they consider his inflexible disposition on matters concerning non-members of his party.
Danjuma Goje to the rescue?
This is perhaps, where the odds may favour former Gombe State governor, Danjuma Goje. The erstwhile governor had started off on the platform of the PDP before veering off for APC in 2015. Though in APC, he is said to be in good relations with his former party members in PDP. Some consider him as friendly and broad minded to work with.
Goje, chairman of Senate Committee on Appropriations, also has the charisma and network of contacts to pull a surprise in the race, it was gathered. The question however remains if he has the nerve and verve to withstand the heat that will certainly come his way, if he goes ahead and emerges the Senate President without APC endorsement. This is where Ndume may have the edge over him.
PDP in spoiler’s game
While the various individuals and tendencies in APC battle on who picks the prime position, our reporter learnt on good authority that PDP is strategizing and weighing the options in either going for the post or supporting someone that will stand against being pushed around by the APC leadership and the presidency. The party had, earlier in a statement, expressed its desire to have the leadership of the two chambers thrown open for contest among its members, citing provisions of the constitution to back its demand.
Section 50 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) provides that there shall be: – (a) a President and a Deputy President of the Senate, who shall be elected by the members from among themselves; and (b) a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves. The portion is silent on whether the presiding officers would come from the party with the majority or not. The convention in the past, had seen the leading party producing occupants of the positions.
But leaning on the open-ended prescription of the constitution on the issue, PDP insists that aspiration for the offices remains open and not a prerogative of a particular party, not even that with the majority in the chambers. This is a logic many fear, may be exploited by even APC members not comfortable with the party’s choice in the Senate and House leadership.
