6 PDP Senators-Elect Who May Vie for Position of Minority Leader
As the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) concluded the supplementary elections on Saturday, April 15 nationwide, attention will now shift to the National Assembly.
Ranking senators-elect from the ruling party are already jostling for positions in the 10th National Assembly.
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The same can be said about their counterparts from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
In this piece, Legit.ng lists six PDP senators-elect who may vie for the position of minority leader in the 10th Senate.
1. Seriake Dickson
The former governor of Bayelsa state is a ranking senator returning for a second term. Before he emerged as the chief executive of the south-south state, Dickson was a member of the House of Representatives.
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He is currently one of the most senior members of the parliament from the opposition party. He is expected to vie for the position, given his experience in legislative duties.
2. Abdul Ahmed Ningi
He is a former deputy majority leader of the Nigerian Senate. The Bauchi-born senator is returning to the upper chamber after a stint between 2011 and 2015, where he represented the Bauchi Central senatorial district. Before then, he served as the majority leader in the House of Representatives between 2003 to 2007.
He was a member of the House of Reps from 1999 to 2007. Articulate, intelligent, and experienced, Ningi is undoubtedly one of the front-runners for the minority leader position in the red chambers.
3. Abba Moro
The former interior minister is returning to the Senate for a second term. He represents Benue South senatorial district.
Given his closeness to the former Senate President and respected PDP chieftain, Senator David Mark, Moro is expected to leverage the relationship with his political godfather to push for the position. He also has the requisite experience to lead his colleagues in the 10th Senate.
4. Adamu Aliero
The former governor of Kebbi state is a ranking senator and front-runner for minority leader in the 10th Senate. Aliero, 66, is also a former minister of the Federal Capital Territory under the Umaru Musa Yar’adua administration.
He defected to the PDP from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) weeks before the 2023 general elections. His return indicates how popular he is among the Kebbi Central senatorial district electorates.
5. Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe
The 52-year-old lawmaker represents Cross River North senatorial district in the Senate. He is returning for a second term after famously defeating Governor Benedict Ayade in a keenly contested election.
Before his entrance to the red chambers, Jarigbe was a member of the House of Representatives. His popularity in his home state is unrivalled, and he is also popular among his colleagues.
6. Aminu Tambuwal
The Sokoto state governor is the proverbial cat with nine lives in Nigeria’s politics. Since the return of democratic rule in 1999, Tambuwal has been relevant, and it looks like it will remain so. While some say he will most likely emerge as the minority leader, others say his political dexterity might even place him as a front-runner for the deputy Senate president role.
With an illustrious political career spanning several years, the 57-year-old politician has held various leadership positions, including the deputy chief whip of the House of Representatives, the minority leader, the Speaker, a two-term governor, chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, and the chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum.
APC yet to zone leadership of 10th National Assembly - Basiru
In another report, the insinuation that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned the leadership of the 10th National Assembly leadership positions is not true.
Ajibola Basiru, the chairman of the senate committee on Media and public affairs, indicated that the national working committee and the National executive council of the party had not made such a move.
The senator representing Osun Central also hinted that the zoning arrangement would be done at the end of the ongoing Ramadan fasting.
Source: Legit.ng
