Fresh indications emerged on Monday that the South-West geo-
political zone would produce the next Deputy Senate President
based on the ranking rule of the upper chamber which gives
preference to returning senators.
A critical analysis of the incoming 8th Senate indicated that with a
simple majority in the chamber, the All Progressives Congress’
members are expected to emerge as, Senate President; Deputy
Senate President; Senate Majority Leader; Chief Whip; Deputy
Majority Leader and Deputy Chief Whip.
A ranking senator, who preferred anonymity, told our
correspondent that the APC Senate Caucus members were pushing
for the Deputy Senate President slot to be filled by the South-
West since the North-Central and the North-East were currently
battling to produce the Senate President.
He said South-South and the South-East would only produce the
Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Whip, and Deputy
Minority Whip because none of the senators from the zone, either
new or old, was a member of the APC which would constitute
the majority in the 8th Senate.
He said the North-West was expected to fill the slot of the Senate
Leader, because there were many ranking APC senators from the
zone.
But further investigations by our correspondent in Abuja revealed
that there was a simmering battle among members of the incoming
8th Senate, as some new entrants were allegedly insisting that the
ranking rule be set aside during the composition of the Senate
leadership.
A ranking senator confided in our correspondent on Monday that
some fresh senators, believed to have strong godfathers were also
lobbying party elders to be elected as principal officers.
The returning senators, he added, were however insisting on the
application of Senate Standing Orders 2011 (as amended) during
the inauguration of the 8th Senate on June 4.
The rule stipulates that any senator who has been elected and has
been re-elected into the chamber, has advantage over a member
who is newly elected into the chamber.
Chapter II (2) of the Senate rules specifically removes any
ambiguity about the status of Senators in the chamber.
The rule titled, “Election of presiding and other officers states
that in determining ranking states that, “the following order shall
apply: (i) Senators returning based on number of times re-elected;
(II) Senators who had been members of the House of
Representatives; and (iii) Senators elected as Senators for the first
time.”
Based on this ranking rule, only senators who had been re-elected
based on the number of times he had won elections in to the
Senate, are expected to form the nuclei of the leadership.
Attempts to find out details of the meeting allegedly held in Abuja
by the APC Senate Caucus were unsuccessful as some of the
senators contacted denied knowledge of the meeting.
For instance, Senator Robert Boroffice (Ondo North) said, “I am
in Ondo State at the moment. We are resuming tomorrow
(Tuesday), and I don’t have any invitation to attend any meeting.”
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