There are indications that senators from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other minority parties may have resolved to elect former Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP Bauchi), as the 10th Senate’s Minority Leader.
The former Sokoto State Governor and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sen. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, is facing mounting pressure from PDP senators and other critical stakeholders in the Party, including State Governors, ahead of the resumption of the National Assembly on Tuesday.
Because of his long legislative experience in the Senate, Ningi is said to have the support of the majority of PDP Senators and those from other minority parties, whereas Tambuwal is a first-time senator.
Ningi has also served as Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate, as well as other Principal Officer positions in both chambers.
Because of his long legislative experience in the Senate, Ningi is said to have the support of the majority of PDP Senators and those from other minority parties, whereas Tambuwal is a first-time senator.
Ningi has also served as Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and Deputy Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.
The PDP eventually lost the 2015 Presidential and most governorship elections to the APC with Tambuwal emerging as Governor of Sokoto State on the platform of the APC.
On the other hand, most of the senators are aligned with Senator Ningi given what they said was his unbroken loyalty to the PDP and his averred all-inclusive disposition during his tenures as Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate and as Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.
An opposition Senator who did not want his name in print because he was not authorized to speak on the issue told journalists in Abuja on Sunday night that many of the senators are insisting that though Tambuwal was Speaker of the House of Representatives, he is a first timer in the Senate and should differ to Senator Ningi.
The Senator further asserted that;
Tambuwal is a seasoned legislator and a team player but on the issue of Minority Leader of the Senate, I can confirm that as we speak, most of the senators are aligned with Ningi. There are already envoys to Senator Tambuwal to step down for Ningi and I believe that he is seeing reasons.