The discord within the ruling party has prevented it from consolidating on a single candidate for the position. The party’s candidates, Senator Ahmed Lawan and Bukola Saraki are locked in battle for the top job.
Aware of this lock jam, the PDP is determined to capitalise on this loophole and has directed its senators to vote for one candidate when the Senate convenes.
The Nation learnt that outgoing president of the Senate, David Mark, has urged the PDP members-elect in the National Assembly to be united so as to achieve this feat.
“We must subject our individual interest to our group interest. In the election of principal officers of National Assembly, we must vote in one accord. We must know that united we stand, divided we fall,”Mark said at a party retreat in Port Harcourt.
The APC in this regard, has summoned an emergency meeting of its lawmakers to try and thwart the schemes of the PDP.
According to sources in the know, the party seeks use the opportunity afforded by the meeting to convince senators elect on its platform to adopt a consensus for the Senate Presidency.
Though the ruling party has a majority in the Senate, there is no rule specifying that the majority party nor the opposition should produce the president of the Senate.
This implies that any candidate from either party with the maximum number of votes will become senate president and the PDP intends to use this to their advantage.
Meanwhile, the ambition of Senator Bukola Saraki to become the next Senate president of the eight National Assembly has suffered set back after Senators from the Northwest zone denied endorsing him.
source: naij news
