APC Kicks As Saraki, Dogara Emerge Assembly Leaders

Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki

·  12 APC senators join PDP to elect Senate President

·  Defiant Reps pick Dogara as Speaker

·  Buhari: Constitutional process has somewhat occurred

·  It’s unacceptable, says party

Twelve All Progressives Congress (APC) senators-elect yesterday teamed up with their Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) colleagues to return Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki unopposed as the President of the Eighth Senate.

Hon. Yakubu Dogara was voted Speaker of the House of Representatives.

But the APC, in a statement issued in Abuja, described the emergence of the duo as an act of “indiscipline” and “treachery”.

The Nation report continues:

Senator Ike Ekweremadu emerged Deputy President of the Senate.

Ekweremadu is the immediate past Deputy Senate President under the Senator David Mark Senate Presidency.

All the 57 senators-elect, mostly PDP members, present during the election unanimously elected Saraki.

Saraki represents APC Kwara Central Senatorial District. Ekweremadu represents PDP Enugu West Senatorial District.

The election of Saraki and Ekweremadu ended the intense lobbying for the offices.

Senator Ahmed Lawan (APC Yobe North) and Senator George Akume (APC Benue North West), who emerged APC consensus candidates for Senate president and deputy Senate president were not at the Senate chamber during the election.

The 12 APC senators who teamed up to choose Saraki included Saraki himself, Dino Melaye, Ahmed Rufai Sani, Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko, Ibrahim Abdullahi Gobir, Mohammed Shaaba Lafiagi, Rufiu Adebayo Ibrahim, Mohammed Danjuma Goje, Mohammed Ali Ndume, Mohammed Ohiare and Francis Asekhame Alimikhena.

Sources said a meeting of PDP senators in Mark’s home on Sunday may have sealed the plot for the senators to vote Saraki in an arrangement that would also see Ekweremadu emerge as Deputy President of the Senate. The Nation reported the “intrigues” exclusively yesterday.

The election of Saraki started at exactly 10 am  when the Clerk to the National Assembly (NA), Salisu Maikasua, welcomed the senators-elect.

He read the proclamation memo issued by President Muhammadu Buhari for the first session of the Eighth Senate to hold by 10am .

Maikasua reminded the senators-elect that they were free to vote for the candidate of their choice in a free and fair election.

The CNA mandated the Deputy Clerk to the Senate, Adedotun Durojaiye, to proceed with the roll call of the senators-elect in alphabetical order.

The Deputy Clerk took the roll call and announced that only 57 Senators-elect were in the chamber.

He also gave the quorum required for the election as 37.

The remaining APC senators were at the International Conference Centre together with party leaders waiting to hold a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari.

The roll call and quorum established, the Deputy Clerk asked for a proposal to take the chair of the Office of the Senate President.

Former Zamfara State Governor Ahmed Rufai Sani proposed that Saraki do take the chair of the Senate President.

Senator Dino Melaye (Kogi West) seconded Senator Sani’s proposal.

Saraki was immediately called to accept or decline the proposal.

Saraki accepted to take the chair of the Senate President.

The Clerk to the Senate asked whether there was any further proposal or nomination for the Office of the Senate President. There was dead silence in the Senate Chamber.

The Clerk, once again, asked whether there was further proposal for the Office of the Senate President.

There was no response from any of the senators-elect.

The Clerk announced that Saraki had been duly elected as the President of the Eighth Senate.

Maikasua administered the oath of office on Saraki.

There was jubilation on the floor of the Senate as those in Saraki’s camp launched into a victory song.

The next stage was the election of the Deputy President of the Senate.

The Deputy Clerk to the Senate called for proposal for the Office of the Deputy President of the Senate.

Senator George Thompson Sekibo (Rivers East) proposed Senator Ike Ekweremadu to take the chair of the Deputy President of the Senate.

Senator Olaka Nwogu (Rivers West) seconded the proposal. Ekeremadu accepted.

The Clerk also asked if there was further proposal.

Senator Rufiu Adebayo Ibrahim (Kwara South) nominated Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume who represents Borno South. Ndume accepted.

The voting for the Office of the Deputy President was by secret ballot. Senators-elect were handed ballot papers to make their choice.

At the end of balloting and counting of votes at 11.55 am, the Deputy Clerk to the Senate announced that 75 senators-elect participated in the election.

He said Ndume received 20 votes. Ekweremadu got 56 votes.

One Senator-elected abstained from voting.

Maikasua inaugurated Ekweremadu as Deputy President.

Maikasua singled out Mark and inaugurated him as “a mark of honour.”

This is the first time in the past 16 years of the rebirth of democracy in the country that the President of the Senate and Deputy President of the Senate will be elected from two opposing political parties.

APC produced the President of the Senate. The Deputy Senate President was elected from the opposition political platform of the PDP.