Barely 24 hours after the Senate suspended Abdul Ningi, the erstwhile chairman of the Northern Senators Forum, NSF, over allegations of 2024 budget padding, the Southern Senators Forum, SSF, has elected new executive officers to pilot the affairs of the group in the 10th Senate.
The new chairman of the SSF is Senator Adetokunbo Abiru (APC, Lagos East), who is also the Chairman, Senate Committee on Banking, Insurance and Other Financial Institutions, while Senator Victor Umeh (LP, Anambra Central) emerged as the Vice Chairman.
Other executives of the forum are Senator Mpigi Barinada (PDP, Rivers South East), Secretary; Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong (APC, Cross River North), Public Relations Officer; and Senator Kenneth Eze (APC, Ebonyi Central) as Treasurer.
Senator Abiru takes over from the Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, who has been the chairman of the forum since the 9th Assembly.
Addressing newsmen shortly after the meeting of the senators from South West, South East and South South, Abiru said they will partner with the Northern Senators Forum to move the country forward.
“Our expectation—and the responsibility bestowed on us— is to champion the course of Nigeria and Nigerians, first and foremost.
“And because we also live in an environment where we have our northern brothers as well, what we are meant to do is work closely with them to champion the course of Nigeria. Right now, the unity of Nigeria is important to us,” he stressed.
The new chairman said the SSF members would swing into action and roll out their plans for the betterment of the region and Nigeria, adding: “We will work out our plans. The last leadership has transferred power to us. We’ve been running the forum as if we don’t exist.
“The present Leader of the Senate was the leader of the Southern Senators Forum. He was too engaged on other issues, but we now have new leadership, which is headed by me,” Senator Abiru added.
Earlier, Senator Bamidele said his current position as Leader of the 10th Senate prevented him from providing the required leadership, necessitating a change of leadership, which took place at the meeting.
“What is happening here today is not new, as both the southern and northern senators’ fora existed even before this 10th Senate.
“At this meeting of the southern senators, new executive members will be announced to steer the affairs of the forum,” he said.
