Tensions deepen in the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as party decides to shift the meeting scheduled to decide on a single candidate for the position of Senate President.
The gathering planned for June 4, Thursday, between members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and the party’s newly elected lawmakers was postponed till June 6, Saturday.
It should be noted that in a meeting a day ago with members of the party’s NWC, President Muhammadu Buhari had gestured his favorit for senator Ahmed Lawan.
Several sources at the meeting revealed that the president said he was tilting Lawan because of his experience and integrity. The senator hails from North-East, which is suffering from Boko Haram insurgency.
His key opponent is ex-governor Bukola Saraki.
Buhari had called on APC chieftains to introduce one candidate as a way of projecting a united front.
Meanwhile, Odigie Oyegun, party’s national chairman, was pushing for a primary to ensure party members to choose between Saraki and Lawan.
Some APC sources revealed that Oyegun supports ex-governor Saraki’s bid to appear as the new Senate President.
Several Saraki supporters said that they suspect the unexpected annulment of today’s meeting was a deliberate ploy by party leaders to enable the Lawan group to recruit more senators to their side.
The senator and his backers are allegedly insisting that today’s meeting proceed as planned.
“We are convinced that Distinguished Senator Saraki has a majority of support in the APC. And he will also draw support from PDP senators,” an friend of Saraki told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party is not presenting a candidate for the Senate presidency.
The Senate is expected to assemble and elect a president on Saturday.
Meanwhile, some members of the party have advised the APC to allow the most popular aspirant to emerge through a due process that would be free, fair, credible and generally acceptable to all the senators as the senators loyal to Saraki, has blamed party’s the NWC of bias.
The gathering planned for June 4, Thursday, between members of the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) and the party’s newly elected lawmakers was postponed till June 6, Saturday.
It should be noted that in a meeting a day ago with members of the party’s NWC, President Muhammadu Buhari had gestured his favorit for senator Ahmed Lawan.
Several sources at the meeting revealed that the president said he was tilting Lawan because of his experience and integrity. The senator hails from North-East, which is suffering from Boko Haram insurgency.
His key opponent is ex-governor Bukola Saraki.
Buhari had called on APC chieftains to introduce one candidate as a way of projecting a united front.
Meanwhile, Odigie Oyegun, party’s national chairman, was pushing for a primary to ensure party members to choose between Saraki and Lawan.
Some APC sources revealed that Oyegun supports ex-governor Saraki’s bid to appear as the new Senate President.
Several Saraki supporters said that they suspect the unexpected annulment of today’s meeting was a deliberate ploy by party leaders to enable the Lawan group to recruit more senators to their side.
The senator and his backers are allegedly insisting that today’s meeting proceed as planned.
“We are convinced that Distinguished Senator Saraki has a majority of support in the APC. And he will also draw support from PDP senators,” an friend of Saraki told reporters on condition of anonymity.
The opposition Peoples Democratic Party is not presenting a candidate for the Senate presidency.
The Senate is expected to assemble and elect a president on Saturday.
Meanwhile, some members of the party have advised the APC to allow the most popular aspirant to emerge through a due process that would be free, fair, credible and generally acceptable to all the senators as the senators loyal to Saraki, has blamed party’s the NWC of bias.
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