As high level lobbying for the exalted office of the Senate President heats up between different caucuses in the All Progressive Congress (APC), both the North Central and North East geopolitical zones appear to be the most favoured to clinch the position. Somehow however, concrete indications are emerging that the North Central may eventually clinch the coveted position especially in the absence of any senator elected from the South East on the platform of the APC.
APC, which won the presidency as well as majority seats at both chambers of the National Assembly, has clearly evolved into three main political caucuses contending for the post. These caucuses are stratified according to analysts as Buhari/Northern caucus, which is made up of the president-elect and his supporters who have been with him for years and collapsed their structures into the APC during the merger process; the Tinubu/South-west caucus led by former Lagos State Governor, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu; and the former leaders of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who defected to APC under the influence of Governor Chibuike Amaechi of Rivers State along with Governors Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano and Senator Bukola Saraki from Kwara State.
The stratification in the party is the strongest reason why different contenders are supported by different political godfathers with Tinubu strongly supporting Senator Akume, while Senator Saraki is being supported the by Amaechi caucus. Both Akume and Saraki, from the North Central, have gained more prominence in the race than their counterparts from North-East. Without any reservation, both Senator Saraki or Senator Akume who senior Saraki in the Senate in the order of ranking having been in the Senate since 2007, are qualified in every standard set for the Senate presidency especially since they are both returning.
It is said that when two elephants fight, the grass suffers and so, the envisaged clash of these two political titans is being perceived in some quarters as potential destabilizing factor for the eighth Senate and so, a third force has suggested a compromise candidate for the position. Senator Abdulahi Adamu became known as a ‘Bridge Builder’ by many politicians across the country especially during the campaign for the 2007 general elections when he was a contender for the presidency on the platform of the PDP. He is a humble but quiet go-getter whose vast experience in both the public service and private sector can be of great advantage to the Red Chamber and Nigeria in general. Like the other contenders who are also former governors, Senator Adamu was Governor of Nasarawa State between 1999 and 2007.
Adamu’s political journey began in earnest 1977 when he was elected into the Constituent Assembly, a body that drafted the Second Republic Constitution. In March 1995, he was appointed a Minister of State in the Ministry of Works and Housing of the Federal Republic of Nigeria where he served up to November 17, 1997. At the onset of the current political dispensation in 1998, he became a founding member of the People Democratic Party (PDP) and contested for the position of the Executive Governor of Nasarawa State on its platform. He won the elections conducted in 1999 and reelected in 2003 for four-year tenure thus becoming the first person in the history of the state to be elected by the popular mandate of the people to serve twice in the exalted position.
Owing to Adamu’s influence, intelligence, acumen and political sagacity, if giving opportunity to serve as the next Senate President, the incoming administration will surely have good relationship with legislature.
Yusuf An-Nuphawi yusufissa91@yahoo.com
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