Ahead of the resumption of the 10th National Assembly's plenary session, the competition for the position of minority leader in the Senate has intensified. A recent statement obtained on June 2nd confirmed that Senator Abdul Ningi, the former Senate Deputy Majority Leader from the PDP Bauchi, has been favored for the coveted role of Minority Leader.
It appears that PDP senators and other minority party members have reached a consensus to elect Senator Ningi, despite pressure from within the PDP and influential party stakeholders, including state governors, for Senator Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, a former Sokoto State Governor and ex-Speaker of the House of Representatives, to withdraw from the race.
Senator Ningi has garnered support from the majority of PDP senators and other minority party members due to his extensive legislative experience in the Senate. In contrast, Senator Tambuwal, a newcomer to the Senate, has held prominent positions in both chambers as the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives and Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate. However, some critical PDP stakeholders harbor reservations towards Tambuwal because he defected from the party to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2014, despite being elected Speaker of the House of Representatives on the PDP's platform.
An anonymous senator from the minority caucus confirmed that many senators are firmly in favor of Senator Ningi for the position of Minority Leader. While acknowledging Tambuwal's legislative skills and collaborative approach, the senator revealed that there are ongoing pleas for Tambuwal to step aside and support Ningi. Another senator from the minority caucus expressed that the caucus is currently finalizing its stance and will present a unified front before the resumption of plenary on Tuesday.
In addition, a PDP group called the Concerned PDP League has rejected the choice of Aminu Tambuwal as Senate Minority Leader. The group, led by Chairman Daboikiabo Warmate, stated that they will not support Tambuwal due to concerns about his trustworthiness. Instead, they believe the Senate Minority Leader position should be zoned to Plateau State.
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