Contenders for 9th Assembly leadership intensify lobby

Contenders for the four leadership positions in the coming 9th National Assembly have intensified lobby among their colleagues, Daily Trust has learnt.

The positions of Senate President, Speaker of the House of Reps, Deputy Senate President and Deputy Speaker will be up for grabs in June when the 9th Assembly would be inaugurated.

Already, about half a dozen of senatorselect have indicated interest for the Senate President’s seat, while several repselect have also shown serious intention to contest for speaker and deputy speaker.

Majority of those who have shown interest in the leadership contest are members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), which has so far garnered comfortable majority in both chambers.

Daily Trust gathered that those in the contest have in the last few days intensified lobby among their colleagues, especially the returning lawmakers.

Others, it was learnt, are in touch with the new lawmakers-elect, who are in the majority, for their support.

Most of the contenders, it was learnt, used the avenue for the collection of certificates of return last Thursday to advance their ambitions.

Already, series of meetings are being held by the top contenders to court the support of their colleagues.

However, sources told Daily Trust that some of the contenders are threading softly ahead of the APC national leadership’s zoning formula for the positions.

Top among the contenders for the Number 3 Citizen’s seat are Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan (Yobe), Mohammed Ali Ndume (Borno), Mohammed Danjuma Goje (Gombe) and Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa).

It was learnt that the likes of Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia) and Benjamin Uwajumogu (Imo) have also indicated interest to vie for the Senate President’s seat.

In the House, the top contenders are House Leader Femi Gbajabiamila (Lagos), Mohammed Tahir Monguno (Borno), Ahmed Idris Wase (Plateau), Abdulrazak Namdas (Adamawa), Babangida Ibrahim (Katsina), Umar Bago (Niger), and the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Khadija Bukar Abba Ibrahim (Yobe), who is a former lawmaker in the lower chamber of the National Assembly.

As for the position of Deputy Senate President, it was learnt that Ovie OmoAgege (Delta), Deputy Senate Whip Francis Alimekhena (Edo) and Kabiru Gaya (Kano) are the top contenders.

Top among those gunning for Deputy Speaker are Abdulrahman Kawu Sumaila (Kano), who is to be paired with Gbajabiamila, Aminu Suleiman (Kano), Abubakar Lado Suleja (Niger), among others.