Nigeria: Minority Leadership - Tambuwal 'Under Pressure to Quit As Opposition Senators Lean Towards Ningi'

2 July 2023
Daily Trust (Abuja)
By Baba Martins

Indications have emerged that senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other minority parties may have resolved to elect former Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi (PDP Bauchi) as the Minority Leader of the 10th Senate.

Ahead of the resumption of the National Assembly on Tuesday, sources said pressure from PDP senators and other critical stakeholders in the Party including State Governors are already mounting pressure on the former Sokoto State Governor and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sen. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, to withdraw from the race.

Ningi is said to be enjoying the support of majority of PDP Senators and those from other minority parties because of his long-standing legislative experience in the Senate while Tambuwal is a first timer in the Senate.

Ningi has also held Principal Officer positions in both chambers, having served as Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate.

Some PDP stakeholders are also said to be cold towards the ambition of Tambuwal, who as Speaker of the House of Representatives elected on the platform of the party, dumped the Party for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014.

They said Tambuwal's defection cost the PDP its control of the House of Representatives.

The PDP eventually lost the 2015 Presidential and most governorship elections to the APC with Tambuwal emerging as Governor of Sokoto State on the platform of the APC.

On the other hand, most of the senators are aligned with Senator Ningi given what they said was his unbroken loyalty to the PDP and his averred all-inclusive disposition during his tenures as Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate and as Majority Leader of the House of Representatives.

An opposition Senator who did not want his name in print because he was not authorized to speak on the issue told journalists in Abuja on Sunday night that many of the senators are insisting that though Tambuwal was Speaker of the House of Representatives, he is a first timer in the Senate and should differ to Senator Ningi.

The Senator further asserted that "Tambuwal is a seasoned legislator and a team player but on the issue of Minority Leader of the Senate, I can confirm that as we speak, most of the senators are aligned with Ningi. There are already envoys to Senator Tambuwal to step down for Ningi and I believe that he is seeing reasons."

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