Akume Vs Saraki: The Battle For Senate Presidency
By Mike Mana, Abuja
Ever since the All Progressives Congress (APC) won the March 28 presidential election and went on to snatch the majority seats in the two chambers of Nigeria’s National Assembly from the ruling PDP, the APC’s top hierarchy has been inundated with the high-wire political horse-trading, permutations and intrigues vis-a-vis who becomes the President of the 8th Assembly Senate.
The permutation for the Senate President seat has become very crucial in determining the APC’s ability to manage its unprecedented election success and use it to inflict a fatal coup de grace against the now opposition PDP, failing which PDP could be revived via a legislative coup.
To this end, the party hierarchy has been concerned about strategically considering, choosing and endorsing the most credible senator from the most suitable zone from among the top contenders for the Senate’s coveted seat.
However, this decision has had to also at the same time contend with vested interests and the impasse created by the yearnings of each of the six geopolitical zones of the country to produce the senate president and the Speaker of the House of Representatives and strike a strategic balancing act.
At the moment, our investigation has revealed that, notwithstanding any last minute surprise, the APC has in principle narrowed down its searchlight for the senate presidency seat to the North-Central geo-political zone, though the North-East is seeking it but indirectly bargaining for the Speaker slot.
Among the top contenders for the plum position of Senate President are Senators George Akume, Benue, Bukola Saraki, Kwara and Abdullahi Adamu, Nasarawa (North-Central); Ahmed Lawan, Yobe, Danjuma Goje, Gombe, Ali Ndume, Borno (North-East).
Political pundits are of the view that the main bone of contention right now is the tug of war between the North-East and the South-West over which of them should produce the Speaker, pointing to the issue of vested interest as a stumbling block to resolving the issue amicably.
A situation whereby APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu, is seeking support for his candidate, Femi Gbajabiamila for Speaker, and so is ready to support the senate president candidate from any zone that is willing to support Gbajabiamila, a lawyer and ranking Rep, is a case in point.
APC insider sources, nonetheless, insist that the battle for the coveted seat of Senate President, therefore, is a two-horse race between Akume and Saraki that is too close to call, depending on the factors that finally play out in favour of either senator in the weeks ahead.
These factors are basically a function of – and intrinsically tied to – the political trajectory of the two gladiators and the influence of the power blocs within the APC hierarchy and, perhaps, a marriage of convenience alliance with some PDP senators.
Speaking to our correspondent on Sunday on the issue, however, Senator Ali Ndume (Borno South), said that the North-East was still in contention for the Senate Presidency, adding that the zone was not merely using the bid to bargain for the Speakership position.
Ndume denied a recent media report which claimed that he was among some sixty-four Senators who met in Abuja last week and endorsed Senator Saraki for Senate President, arguing that it was a creation of the media.
“For sure, the Senate President position has not been zoned by APC to any zone yet and I am vying for the position and so it cannot be true that I will be endorsing anybody for a position that I am interested, it is just the media’s speculation,’’ he said.
Ndume further explained that the North-East zone has been the most marginalized zone which needed somebody in such a high profile position to tackle its numerous challenges such as insecurity and poverty.
He said that his zone was ready to abide by the final decision of the party on zoning these topmost posts of the National Assembly and would support any credible candidate from a zone outside his own if the party decides so.
So, by way of a prognosis, what are the chances of Akume and Saraki in their respective bids for the senate presidency? What constitute the strengths and or weaknesses of either senator in the battle for Nigeria’s number three citizen position?
A large section of the APC leadership is said to be more predisposed to an Akume Senate Presidency because he had proved himself as the Senate Minority leader over the years by his deft and dexterous handling of affairs in the National Assembly.
Akume, who is going into the senate for a third term, as against Saraki who has just won a second term, is considered to be more experienced and mature in legislative functions and more familiar with the administration of the Senate, which they see as a sine qua non to a smooth Senate Presidency.
Besides, some have argued that Akume’s clean record of not being hunted by anti-corruption agencies, unlike like Saraki who has a pending case in court, makes the ex-Benue Governor more transparent, endearing and acceptable for the position.
Another factor that favours an Akume Senate Presidency, according to an APC Senator from the North-Central zone who craved anonymity is the permutation that the North-West and the North-East, being predominantly dominant Moslem far north states, cannot both produce the president of the country and Senate President at the expense of the largely Christian North-Central, which Akume represents.
“The APC has to be careful about applying this political balancing act in order to disabuse the minds of the people against the initial misconception that APC was a Moslem party.
“Akume also has an edge over Saraki in the permutation that the Vice-President-elect being number two citizen is Yoruba and the Senate Presidency, being number three position should not be given to another Yoruba,’’ he said.
The Senator stressed that even some top APC hierarchy officials like Buhari and Tinubu are not disposed to a Saraki Senate Presidency because they suspect that Saraki, unlike Akume, may be harbouring an ambition to run for president in 2019, hence the need to clip his rising political profile wings.
These factors, according to some political analysts, by and large, explain why a plethora of groups have voiced out their support for Akume to clinch the senate presidency.
One of the groups, a youth group of the All Progressives Congress (APC) under the aegis of League of Patriotic and Progressive Youths (LPPY), which officially endorsed Akume for Senate President, explained that they did so because Akume has a richer political background compared to his challengers.
The leader of the group, Mr Dominic Alancha, told journalists at a recent press conference in Abuja that as Minority Leader in the 7th National Assembly (Senate) , Akume provided the needed leadership and helped nurture the party to its current enviable position.
Besides, he said, Akume singlehandedly displaced the PDP from the North-Central zone, its hitherto stronghold, and has helped in solidifying the APC in the region and so he ought to be compensated for his efforts.
“We call on Akume to throw his hat into the ring by contesting for the elevated office of Senate President. The 8th National Assembly needs a leader whose pedigree is distinguished.
“Our call is not made in tepid kneel-jerk reaction to the unfolding political scenario, but rather, ours is based on detailed analysis and historical understanding of events.
“Nigeria’s political revolution calls for men and women of great understanding, sagacity, insight and conviction to be at the driving seat at this particular time.
“This is not the time to experiment with trial and error. It is time to elevate men and women of conviction, industry, national acceptability and proven track record to stand guard at critical organs of government,” Alancha said.
Also, the leadership of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), in a statement, urged senators-elect in the eighth Assembly to support Akume to emerge as Senate President basically on merit grounds.
NANS President, Mr. Tijani Usman, who made the appeal in the statement issued in Abuja last week, insisted that Akume gave the opposition a voice in the seventh Assembly, adding that it was only natural that he emerged as Senate President.
Usman said: “Senator Akume is very effective as Minority Leader in the Senate. Therefore, it is commonsense that the man who did well with little responsibility, should be given higher responsibility.
“Senator Akume remains one of the few who served as governor for eight years and has not been linked with any allegation of corruption and other moral impediments. Instead, he has been a dependable bridge builder and a highly detribalized Nigerian.
“Besides, Senator Akume had proved to be a leader of people and resources, having single-handedly built the opposition in Benue State, a hitherto PDP- controlled state. He has, over the years, proved to be concerned with the development of people and society, hence, his towering political profile.’’
Also, Arewa Youth Agenda (AYA), another group, taking its cue from the others, last week declared support for the Senate presidency bid of Senator Akume, adding that he has all it takes and deserves to be elected by his colleagues to lead them in the 8th Senate.
“Among those gunning for the post of Senate president, he stands tall like an Iroko tree. For one, no anti-graft agency is hunting him and he is not under bail from any quarter, neither is he a regarded as questionable character. He doesn’t look back or sideways when walking out.
The group thereby urged the president-elect, the members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and the Board of Trustees (BOT) to consider the aspiration of Akume who would help ensure the actualization of the needed change in the polity.
AYA Chairman, Mustapha Sani, told journalists in Abuja that Akume had the required pedigree to lead the 8th session of the National Assembly.
But Saraki is not short of people pushing for him to emerge as Senate President either.
For instance, an Ilorin-based socio-cultural group, Forum for Equality and Development of the North-Central Zone, last week canvassed support for his candidature for the next Senate President of the 8th Senate.
The group in a statement signed by Mr. Ezekiel Issa and Bamidele Opeloyeru on behalf of delegates from Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Kwara, FCT Niger and Plateau states, paid tribute to the leadership of APC for “allotting“ the position in the zone.
The group contended that in consonance with the creed of equality, while any of the states or and Senators were qualified, but the Senate President should rightly be conceded to Kwara State ahead of Benue this time around, insisting that Benue has had three shots at the position, while Kwara has never had a chance.
On the whole, therefore, it remains to be seen how the APC will handle the Senate Presidency and the Reps Speakership quagmire like a big bull in a rich Chinese shop, without mismanaging its post-election success with devastating effect on the party.
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