On Tuesday, the Senate and House of Representatives announced their names of Principal Officers. While the Chairman of All Progressives Party (APC) kicked against the emergence of the officers because, according to him, it did not pass through due process, Hope Uzodimma, Chairman of the party’s Governors Forum, countered him.
Yesterday, Godswill Akpabio, the Senate President, named Opeyemi Bamidele (APC, Ekiti) as Majority Leader; David Umahi (APC, Ebonyi), Deputy Majority Leader; Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC, Borno), Senate Majority Whip; and Lola Ashiru (APC, Kwara), Deputy Majority Whip. Senator Simon Davou Mwadkwon (PDP, Plateau North), was also named as the Minority Leader. Other minority principal officers are Senator Olalere Oyewumi (PDP, Osun West), Deputy Minority Leader; Senator Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia Central), Minority Whip and Senator Rufai Hanga (NNPP, Kano Central), Deputy Minority Whip.
The Senate Minority Caucus is made up of PDP with 36 senators; LP, 8; SDP, 2; NNPP, 2; YPP, 1; and APGA, 1.
On the other hand, Speaker Abbas announced Julius Ihonvbere (APC, Edo) as Majority Leader; Abdullahi Ibrahim Halims, (APC, Kogi), Deputy Majority Leader; Usman Bello Kumo (APC, Gombe), the Chief Whip; and Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga (APC, Ogun), Deputy Chief Whip.
The Minority Leader in the House is Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers). Ali Madaki (NNPP, Kano) was named as the Deputy Minority Leader; Ali Isa of PDP, Minority Whip; and George Ebizimawo of Labour Party, Deputy Minority Whip.
However, Adamu blew his top at a meeting the Progressive Governors’ Forum PGF, led by Senator Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, had with members of the National Working Committee, NWC, in Abuja on Tuesday.
Adamu said: “The essence of today’s invitation is simply to rub minds with you as a matter of courtesy. You will get an update on the National Assembly, sharing of powers, particularly the leadership of the chambers.
“The election of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President, the election of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives have been determined and they have now assumed their responsibilities.
“The remaining offices at the two chambers is yet to be done. I had a courtesy call on Saturday from the President of the Senate and his deputy. The following day which was Sunday, I received a visit from the Speaker and his deputy coming to me for Sallah’s homage.
“But I am just hearing rumours now from the online media that there have been some announcements in the Senate and House of Representatives. The national headquarters of the party or the NWC has not given any such information or communicated about the choice of the remaining offices and until we formally resolve and communicate to them in writing which is the normal practice as had been done before we came here, it is not our intention to break away from tradition.
“So, whatever announcement is done either by the President of the Senate, Deputy Senate President, Speaker or Deputy Speaker, is not from this secretariat.
“We are going to formally inform you that we are going to have a caucus. For quite some time, there has been no caucus in place. The caucus has been reconstituted according to the constitution of APC and we will be discussing that with you.
‘’As governors, you know your states more than we know it. Even if we come from the same state, the leadership is in you as governors. We will hear your advice and then see how we can ensure that we are in complete compliance with the provisions of the constitution of the party.
“We hope we will be receiving some reports from the Progressive Governors Forum chairman or his representative, to get to know your thinking, your feelings on what to do to improve the chances of the party and, therefore, reduce the problems and bickerings we have been hearing from time to time.
“Along with the caucus, the National Advisory Council, we will give you the list that has been prepared and make sure every state is represented and we will give you the knowledge of it before the date so that if there is any advice, you will give us before the date.
‘’You will also be given the details of the audit of accounts from April 2022 to April 2023. The Presidential Campaign Council, PCC, the account has been audited and it has been submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, by the party”.
Uzodimma responded differently: “I think the party has a responsibility, working with progressive governors, speaking for all progressive minds in the country, to support the policies and programmes of the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the president.
“While we are doing that, we are also ready to market these policies to critical stakeholders, organized labour, the political class, the private sector, into understanding the benefits of certain decisions that have been taken of late by the government.
“We are loyal to the party completely, and we assure the leadership of the party that all the governors here are constructive partners in the job of building our party and are willing to work with the party and submit to the ideas and norms of the party.
“We don’t have another party. This party is the largest party in black and white Africa, and we will have to run with it”.