Wike plotting to highjack Senate, Reps minority leaders, meet Akpabio

The former governor of Rivers State, Barr. Nyesom Wike on Thursday has indicated that his faction of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP would produce the Senate and House of Representatives Minority leaders in the 10th National Assembly.

This move came to fore in a meeting with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio on Thursday which lasted for over six hours ahead of the resumption of lawmakers on July 4, 2023.

CAPITAL POST recalled that the former governor of Rivers who claimed to be the leader of G-5 polarised the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and kicked against the presidential candidacy of Atiku Abubakar as well as the suspended National Chairman of the PDP, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu.

But the meeting which held in the office of the Senate President that had the Deputy Senate President, Senator Jibrin Barau in attendance, the newly appointed Senior Special Assistant on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Senator Abdullahi Abubakar Gumel, Senator Jibrin Isah representing Kogi East Senatorial District, and Senator Salihu Mustapha representing Kwara Central Senatorial District in attendance, Wike insisted that his faction would nominate the Minority leaders and the leadership should expect a letter to that effect from his faction.

Though, it could not be confirmed, if the Senate President agreed to Wike’s proposal, but CAPITAL POST recalled that the choice of Majority and Minority Leaders of the upper and lower legislative chambers have been traditionally handled by the political party organ.

The meeting ended at about 6.30pm and he drove away in the convoy of the Senate President.

A source privy to the meeting who did not want his name disclosed, said that the former governor explained reasons his faction should be allowed to produce the Senate and House of Representatives Minority leader.

Reacting the choice of who the ex-Rivers governor has in mind to be tipped as Senate and House of Representatives Minority leader, he said, Wike was only serious in his faction producing the principal officers, but never revealed names of those he was targeting.
“He is very serious on the plan and getting the required support from leadership of the National Assembly as well as membership of the other minority political parties in both the Senate and the House of Representatives”, he said.

Meanwhile, Senators in the Senate shows that APC has 59 Senators, PDP 36, Labour Party 8, New Nigeria Peoples Party NNPP 2, Social Democratic Party (SDP) 2, APGA 1 and YPP 1 and Senate President’s election that took place on June 13, 2023 has Godswill Akpabio scored 63, while his closest rival and former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdullaziz Yari had 46.

With Godswill Akpabio and Senator Jibrin Barau as Senate President and Deputy Senate President respectively, the stage is set for nomination of other principal officers and appointment of Committee Chairmen when the lawmakers resume plenary on July 4, 2023.