Senators of the All Progressives Congress (APC) continued their regime of defiance, by ignoring nominees suggested by their party and instead going ahead to pick their choices for vacant positions.

The APC in a letter dated 22 January by party chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun wants Ahmed Lawan from Yobe State to be the majority leader, but the Bukola Saraki led Senate opting for zonal caucuses election, chose Senator Ali Ndume, from Borno State. Ndume was picked by 11 out of the 13 senators from the North-East zone.

The North-West caucus of the Party also endorsed the candidature of Senator Ibn Na’alla from Kebbi State as the Deputy Senate Leader. The APC had nominated Senator George Akume from the North Central for the position. But the Senate north central caucus rebuffed the idea because the senate president is from the zone. Instead the zone conceded the position to the north west.

Akume, a two time governor of Benue state,, was the minority leader in the 7th Senate.

The only party nominee that scaled through was Senator Olusola Adeyeye from Osun State. The South West caucus endorsed him as the Chief Whip of the 8th Senate.

The senator picked to deputise for Adeyeye however was not the APC nominee. He is Senator Francis Alimikhena from Edo State, to represent the South-South on the bill. The Party had nominated  Senator Abu Ibrahim from Katsina State as the Deputy Whip.

But in the thinking of the Saraki-led Senate, allowing Ibrahim to emerge as Deputy Whip would automatically exclude the South-South from having a representative among the Senate leadership.

Some of the APC Senators condemned the caucus elections.

“I am not aware of any election. The Party had spoken. It is now left for the Senate President to make the announcement,” Senator Lawan was quoted to have said.