ABUJA, Nigeria – As the 10th Senate prepares to resume, northern senators from the All Progressives Congress, APC, have intensified their efforts in lobbying and protesting for the position of Majority Leader in the Senate.
According to unnamed senators who spoke anonymously to the press on Tuesday, June 27, 2023, the push by lawmakers from the South West to fill the position could exacerbate tensions in the already divided Senate, known as the Red Chamber.
A lawmaker stated that there is a precedent where the campaign coordinator for the Senate president is often appointed as Majority Leader.
The senator questioned the rationale behind changing this practice in favor of appointing someone with less experience.
The lawmaker urged the National Working Committee, NWC, of the APC to address what is seen as an imbalance in the Senate, as northern members feel marginalized.
The senator mentioned that there is a push for Opeyemi Bamidele to become the Senate Majority Leader.
However, he criticized this move, citing Bamidele’s lack of experience in holding the Red Chamber together during crises and stating that Bamidele is being pushed because he is from the Yoruba ethnic group.
The senator referenced historical examples where the campaign coordinator for a Senate president was appointed as the Senate Majority Leader.
He mentioned cases such as Abdullahi Yahaya during Ahmad Lawan’s tenure, Ndume during Saraki’s tenure, and Ndoma Egba during David Mark’s tenure.
In addition to this, the newly elected Senate President Akpabio has received criticism from some senators following his recent appointments of both Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff, who are from the South and are Christians.
Some senators have expressed displeasure over these appointments, arguing that they do not reflect the geographical and religious diversity of Nigeria.
According to an unnamed northern senator, it has been a practice to select the Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff from both the North and South and to reflect both Christianity and Islam.
The senator criticized Akpabio for not adhering to this tradition and alleged that Akpabio has become inaccessible to his colleagues since assuming office.
The senator further claimed that if Akpabio had sought advice, he would have made appointments that were more representative of the country’s diversity.
The senator termed Akpabio’s actions as wrong and expressed concerns that this might create problems for him.
