Two ex-govs eye Senate Leader’s seat

A former Governor of Kano State,
Senator Kabiru Gaya, and his
colleague from Zamfara State,
Senator Sani Yerima, have started
lobbying their colleagues in the
upper chamber for support in their
individual bid to emerge as the
next Senate Majority Leader.
Already, other ranking senators
from the All Progressives Congress-
controlled states had also started
serious lobbying within and
outside the Senate seeking to
occupy principal officers’ seats,
ahead of the zoning arrangement
being put in place by the party
hierarchy.
Investigations by our
correspondent revealed that
ranking APC senators from the
North-West had decided to settle
for the Senate Majority seat since
their kinsman, Maj. Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had
already emerged the President-
elect.
A ranking member of the red
chamber from the zone, who
pleaded anonymity, told our
correspondent during the week
that they had already met and
decided to put forward their best
for the seat of the Senate leader.
It will be recalled that the APC won
60 out of the 109 seats in the
Senate, based on the results
declared by the Independent
National Electoral Commission after
the parliamentary election held on
March 28.
Ranking senators from the North
Central geo-political zone,
including Bukola Saraki ( Kwara
Central ); and Senator George
Akume (Benue North-West); are
already warming up to contest for
Senate President.
Also, their colleagues from the
North-East, including Senator
Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) and
Danjuma Goje (Gombe Central) had
also indicated their interests to
contest the number one seat in the
Senate.
Another senator from the North-
West also told our correspondent
on the condition of anonymity that
since the zone produced the
highest number of senators, his
colleagues had decided to settle
for the Senate leader position in
the 8th Senate.
He said, “The North-West geo-
political zone produced 20 senators
in the March 28 senatorial election.
Out of the 20 senators, eight are
ranking members as some of them
have been elected to the chamber
at least twice while others are
coming from the House of
Representatives, where they are
also considered ranking members
of the chamber.”
Further findings showed that
ranking members from the zone
were now divided over which state
in the zone should produce the
Senate Leader.
Most senators from the zone are
freshers while only six among them
are ranking members.
Five states of the North-West –
Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Sokoto and
Zamfara – returned only six ranking
senators.
They are: former Governor Kabiru
Gaya (Kano South); former FCT
Minister, Adamu Aliero (Kebbi
Central); Abu Ibrahim (Katsina
South); Ahmad Sani Yerima
(Zamfara West); Kabir Marafa
(Zamfara Central); and Ibrahim
Gobir (Sokoto East).
The senator further explained that
senators-elect Bala Ibn Na’Allah,
and Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano State
Governor) also have the ranking
advantage, having been elected
into the House of Representatives
at different times.
But he argued that the ranking rule,
which gives preference to senators
who have been elected more than
once into the chamber, means that
top contenders for the Senate
leader position are Senators Sani-
Yerima, Marafa, Gaya and Adamu
Aliero.
However, he said, “In addition to
the ranking rule, having been
elected into the Senate three times
in a row, Senators Sani-Yerima, who
is also a former two-term Zamfara
State governor, has the most
legislative experience from the
zone.”

But can dey get considering the conditions behind it

Let wait & see if they can.