…As Reps. Speaker, Abbas names Ihonvbere House Leader
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, yesterday, announced the principal officers of the 10th Senate, whom he says emerged by consensus.
Akpabio, who read an official communication from the majority caucus of the red chamber said it was a consensus and unanimous position of the All Progressives Congress members in the red chamber.
The Senate President announced Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, representing Ekiti-Central, as the Senate Leader and Senator Dave Umahi (Ebonyi-South) as the Deputy Majority Leader; Senator Ali Ndume (Borno-South) as Chief Whip; and Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara-South) as the Deputy Whip.
This is coming just as former governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike and Senator representing Sokoto-south, Aminu Tambuwal renewed their hostilities over the minority leadership positions in the National Assembly.
Akpabio had also named Senator Simon Mwadkon as the Senate Minority Leader after he defeated Tambuwal despite moves to outsmart his political rival, Wike.
While Wike, who held a series of meetings with Senate President Godswill Akpabio, pushing for a particular senator, Tambuwal made known his interest in the minority leadership position, Channels TV report added. However, yesterday, Akpabio announced the new leaders of the minority caucus as: Senator Simon Davou Mwadkwon (PDP, Plateau) – Minority Leader; Senator Oyewumi Olalere (PDP, Osun) – Deputy Minority Leader; Senator Darlington Nwokocha (LP, Abia) – Minority Whip, and Rufa’i Hanga (NNPP, Kano), as Deputy Minority Whip.
It was earlier reported that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its flagbearer in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar, are on a collision course with the integrity group named the G-5 over the minority leadership position in the 10th National Assembly, particularly the Senate.
The PDP and Atiku had declared support for Aminu Tambuwal for the minority leadership seat, but the members of the G-5 pushed for Senator Jarigbe Jarigbe (Cross River-North) for the same position.
The jostle for the Senate minority leadership position appeared to have generated tension among the opposition senators following moves by some vested interests to impose a candidate on the Senate.
In the same vein, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has announced Julius Ihonvbere (Edo) as the House Majority Leader and Usman Kumo (Gombe) as Chief Whip of the House.
The Speaker made the announcement at the House’ resumed plenary yesterday, while reading letters from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and minority caucus also named Hon. Halims Abdullahi, from Kogi State as Deputy Majority Leader and Oriyomi Onanuga, from Ogun State, as the Deputy Chief Whip.
He further announced Kingsley Chinda (PDP, Rivers) as the Minority Leader, Ali Isah (Gombe) Minority Whip, Madaki Aliyu (NNPP, Kano) is the Deputy Minority Leader and George Adegeye (LP, Lagos), Deputy Minority Whip.
