Former Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, reportedly had a lengthy meeting lasting over six hours with Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Thursday.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the meeting, held in anticipation of the Senate resumption on July 4, 2023, aimed to thwart the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) hierarchy’s influence over the selection of Senate Minority leaders in both the upper and lower legislative chambers of the National Assembly.
The meeting, which took place at the Senate President’s office, witnessed the presence of Deputy Senate President Senator Jibrin Barau, recently appointed Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate) Senator Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel, Senator Jibrin Isah representing Kogi East Senatorial District, and Senator Salihu Mustapha representing Kwara Central Senatorial District.
While Wike declined to speak with journalists following the meeting’s conclusion around 6:30 pm, he departed in the Senate President’s convoy.
Meanwhile, this newspaper learnt that according to a source, the former governor at the meeting emphasised the necessity for his faction to nominate the Minority leader of the 10th Senate rather than allowing the PDP’s national body to handle the nomination.
At present, it remains unclear whether the Senate President accepted Wike’s proposal. However, traditionally, the political party has been responsible for selecting the Majority and Minority Leaders of the upper and lower legislative chambers.
Regarding Wike’s intentions, the source stated, “Wike is strongly determined to ensure that his faction secures the key positions, although he did not disclose the names of the individuals he is targeting. He is actively seeking support from the National Assembly’s leadership, as well as the minority political parties in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.”
The current composition of the Senate consists of 59 senators from the All Progressives Congress (APC), 36 from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), 8 from the Labour Party, 2 from the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), 2 from the Social Democratic Party (SDP), 1 from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and 1 from the Young Progressives Party (YPP).
