Senators from opposition parties have promised to stand against any attempts to impose unwelcome leadership on the minority caucus.
The four main roles of the opposition parties in the Senate are minority leader, deputy minority leader, minority whip, and deputy whip.
Nyesom Wike, the recent governor of Rivers state, held a lengthy discussion with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, presumably aiming to place his political allies in minority leadership roles in the Senate.
After a prolonged meeting at the National Assembly, Wike departed around 6.30 pm without giving any statements to the press.
It’s reported that Wike was successful in advancing his associate, Kingsley Chinda, to the position of minority leader in the House of Representatives.
However, senators from opposition parties have stated they will not allow a “compromised leadership” to be thrust upon them by forces both inside and outside the National Assembly.
In a joint declaration, the lawmakers stated, “The minority caucus will select its leaders after consultation with their respective political parties without undue interference from anti-democratic forces.”
They underlined that no senator has yet been confirmed or selected for any minority position.
The statement was jointly signed by Mohammed Adamu Aliero, Henry Seriake Dickson, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Abdul Ningi, Patrick Abba Moro, Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi, Sumaila Kawu, and Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah.
It said, “It has come to the notice of the Minority Political Parties in the Senate of an attempt by forces inside and outside the Senate to divide the Minority Parties and foist a pliant and compromised leadership on them.
“We have pledged to work constructively with the new Senate leadership and the Executive branch to deliver good governance to the Nigerian people. We consequently hereby advise and caution that they should not aid any group inside or outside the Senate to divide and destabilise the minority parties and the Senate institution.
“Senators of the minority parties would meet when the Senate reconvenes and, in consultation with our respective political parties, would select its leaders without undue interference from anti-democratic forces within or outside the Senate.
“For the avoidance of doubt, no Senator has yet been endorsed or selected for any Minority position as this would await due process as agreed by all Minority Parties in their last meeting. Attempts to foist a one party dictatorship would be resisted and would fail. We call on all members of the Minority Political Parties to work together in unity to defend the democratic institution of the Senate and Nigeria.”
