N/Assembly leadership:Saraki, Dogara dare APC

Senators Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe) and Bukola Saraki (APC, Kwara) have remained the only two candidates in the race for the position of Senate President while Yakubu Dogara and Femi Gbajabiamila are in the contest for Speaker of the House of Representatives.Although the APC Saturday adopted Lawan and Gbajabiamila as its candidate for the two […]

Senators Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe) and Bukola Saraki (APC, Kwara) have remained the only two candidates in the race for the position of Senate President while Yakubu Dogara and Femi Gbajabiamila are in the contest for Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Although the APC Saturday adopted Lawan and Gbajabiamila as its candidate for the two positions, the other contenders insist on slugging it out on the floor of the National Assembly.
Saraki yesterday said he had the support of 65 senators across party lines to tilt the balance in his favour when the new Senate votes tomorrow.
Thirty three out of 59 APC senators endorsed the candidature of Lawan during Saturday’s shadow voting, leaving Saraki with 26.
However, The Like Mind Senators, a group loyal to the former Kwara governor said in  a statement yesterday that Saraki had  65 senators across party lines behind him and that they intended to “unveil their faces to the Nigerian public today in Abuja.”
Out of the 65 senators Saraki claimed to be in his support, 39 are of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) which has a total of 49 Senators-elect.
Depletion of Saraki’s support base among the APC senators – elect from 35 earlier claimed by his group, the “Like Minds Senators” to 26 on Saturday night, was said to be a result of last minute defections by prominent senators to  the Ahmad Lawan’s group.
Notable senators who made such defections as captured on Saturday  at the International Conference Centre ( ICC) Abuja , the venue of the APC primary election where Ahmad Lawan emerged Sole candidate, were Comrade Shehu Sani (Kaduna central), Usman Bayero Nafada (Gombe Central) and Abdullahi Adamu (Nasarawa West).
But Saraki in his press statement signed by coordinators of the ‘Like Minds Senators’ Dino Melaye (Kogi West) and Rufai Ahmad Sani Yerima (Zamfara West) said the outcome of the APC primary election was not binding and that Saraki would contest for the position tomorrow.
Dogara to report APC to Buhari
Members-elect of the House of Representatives under the Consolidation Group have said that they would petition President Muhammadu Buhari on APC’s leadership bias against their candidate for the House speaker’s position.
The group is supporting Yakubu Dogara against Femi Gbajabiamila who won a straw vote conducted by the All Progressives Congress (APC) Saturday in Abuja. Dogara’s supporters walked out of the venue in protest.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, spokesman of the Consolidation Group, which is at the forefront of the Dogara’s campaign, Abdulmumin Jibrin said the action of the APC leadership was undemocratic, and as such President Buhari must intervene.
The group alleged that its members were facing “huge amount of intimidation,” insisting that “despite all the threats, we will go ahead on the 9th of June to nominate Yakubu Dogara as speaker. We know our numbers.”
The group also unveiled Rep Suleiman Yussuf Lasun from Osun State to run as Dogara’s deputy.
Lasun last week in a statement announced that he was stepping down for Gbajabiamila, but he later changed his mind to run as deputy Dogara.
Meanwhile, Gbajabiamila said he would extend hands of fellowship to Yakubu Dogara and his men.
Addressing a separate press conference on behalf of Gbajabiamila yesterday, member-elect from Benue State, Dickson Tarkighir said they would be magnanimous in victory and carry Dogara and his men along.
Tarkighir who appeared with Reps Aliyu Sani Madaki, Abdullahi Idris Garba and three others expressed appreciation to all those that voted for Gbajabiamila on Saturday.
He said they already reached out to members-elect of other political parties ahead of tomorrow’s inauguration when presiding officers will be elected.
Daily Trust reports that the APC is also reaching out to all its aggrieved members after the emergence of the party’s official candidates in mock elections on Saturday.