9th Senate: Kalu, Yahaya, others emerge Senate principal officers
NASS
The All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday announced its principal officers for the 9th Senate, with Senator Abdullahi Yahaya (APC, Kebbi North) emerging as the Senate Leader, and Senator Ajayi Boroffice (APC, Ondo North), appointed as the Deputy Leader.
Also, the party leadership, in a letter it addressed to the President of the Senate, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, which he read on the floor of the Chamber during plenary, announced Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North) as the Senate Chief Whip while Senator Aliyu Sabi (APC, Niger North) was appointed as the Deputy Chief Whip of the apex legislative chamber.
The leadership of the APC noted that it took the decision to make these appointments, after making wide consultations with the relevant party stakeholders, who agreed that the persons appointed were duly qualified to hold the offices.
Similarly, on the minority wing of the Senate principal offices, the President of the Senate formally announced on the floor of the Chamber, those selected by the leadership of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to occupy the relevant positions in the 9th Senate.
Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe (PDP, Abia South) was announced as the Minority Leader while Senator Emmanuel Bwacha (PDP, Taraba South) emerged as the Deputy Minority Leader. He actually retains the position which he held in the 8th Senate.
Moreover, Senator Philip Aduda (PDP, FCT) was announced as the Senate Minority Whip, a position he also held in the last assembly, while Sahabi Yau (PDP, Zamfara State) emerged the Senate Deputy Minority Whip.
There were speculations in the last three weeks that Senator Abdullahi Adamu had been adopted for the post of Senate Leader by the APC leadership while Kalu was tipped for Deputy Leader.
It was also widely reported in the media that Boroffice was the preferred candidate for the office of Chief Whip while Senator Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano South), was considered for the position Deputy Whip.
The emergence of Yahaya as the Leader and Sabi as the Deputy Whip, provoked surprises in the faces of spectators during Senate in plenary, as they did not expect to hear the two names.
It was in the last few hours to the official announcement of its authentic preferred principal officers for the Senate by the APC leadership that the two senators’ names appeared in some media reports.
Meanwhile, the President of the Senate, Lawan, announced a 13-member Ad-hoc Committee on Legislative Agenda, to fashion out a policy document that would direct the activities of the Upper Chamber in the next four years.
The committee, which was given two weeks to come up with a legislative agenda for the 9th Senate, has former Kebbi State governor and senator representing Kebbi Central Senatorial District, Adamu Aliero, as chairman.
Other members include Senators Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), Abdulfata Buhari (APC Oyo North), Olubunmi Adetunmbi (APC Ekiti North), Chimaroke Nnamani (PDP, Enugu East), and Uche Ekwunife (PDP, Anambra Central).
Others are Sadiq Umar (APC, Kwara North), Gershom Bassey (PDP, Cross River South), Ifeanyi Uba (YPP, Anambra South), Haliru Dauda Jika (APC, Bauchi South), Aishatu Dahiru (PDP, Adamawa Central), and Istifanus Gyang (PDP, Plateau).
