Senate Presidency: Saraki's Supporters Hits Level A

Dr. Bukola Saraki,

• APC leadership avoiding collision with National Assembly members
 
Barring any further last minute changes, former governor of Kwara State, Dr. Bukola Saraki, appeared to be in good stead to win the President of the eighth session of the Senate.

This is coming as the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), in an apparent move to avoid a collision course with the party's members in the National Assembly may have ruled to support popular candidates of the party for the offices of the Senate president and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Also arising from a meeting Wednesday night, APC may have again moved the senate presidency to the North-central zone.
THISDAY gathered that at a meeting with his colleagues yesterday, many of the senators to the eighth assembly of the Senate endorsed Saraki as the next Senate President.

According to sources at the meeting, Saraki and his inner caucus are banking on the 12 senators of the APC from the North-east that rejected the aspiration of Ahmed Lawam as the senate president.

Also, he has the support of four other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators from the zone as well as the support of the two governors of Yobe and Borno States that are against the aspiration of Lawan for the senate presidency.

It was gathered that apart from Senators George Akume and Barnabas Gemade, all other 11 APC senators are in full support of Saraki as the next senate president, while there is a split among the senators from Sokoto, Jigawa, Kebbi and Zamfara for the aspiration of Saraki as the next senate president.

According to the senators at the meeting, who are clamouring for the former Kwara State governor for the senate presidency, support for Saraki is also coming from the incoming governor of Cross River State, Senator Ben Ayade, who is at present Saraki's Deputy Chairman in the Senate Committee on Environment.

The source said that the Cross River State governor-elect is expected to mobilise senators from the state for Saraki, while he is also banking on the support from the outgoing governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, to galvanise support for the senate presidency.

Saraki, a former governor of Kwara State, was elected on the platform of PDP before defecting to the APC.
In the South-east, Saraki is said to be banking on his relationship with the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu, and Governor Sullivan Chime to swing support for him as the next senate president.

THISDAY gathered that the former governor of Ebonyi State, Sam Egwu, and the outgoing governor of the state, Martin Elechi, are in support of Saraki’s aspiration.

Also, the source said that the outgoing House of Representatives Committee Chairman on Environment, Uche Ekwunife, now elected senator and Senator Andy Ubah are canvassing support for Saraki.

The source said that APC and Buhari don't want to get into any collision course with the senators and members of the House of Representatives, hence the decision to support popular aspirants as the senate president or the Speaker of the House of Representatives.