Arrowheads of Senate President Godswill Akpabio’s campaign group are squaring up for the Senate Leader position.
The National Assembly is resuming tomorrow to commence full legislative business and one of the things to be done by the Senate President is the announcement of the principal officers.
These are: Senate Leader, Deputy Leader, Senate Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip.
There were also Senate Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Chief Whip and Deputy Minority Chief Whip.
The positions are not contested for on the floor of the Senate. The occupants are fixed after consultations between the Senate Leadership and leaders of the ruling party and the minority parties.
Yesterday, Senators Ali Ndume (Borno South) and Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central) are in the race for Senate Leader. Both of them confirmed their interest yesterday.
Ndume said: “I’m interested but I am not desperate to be the Senate Leader. I will leave everything to God.”
Bamidele said: “Very true, I am vying for the office with Sen. Ndume.”
The battle is more intense for the minority leader where the G-5 group led by former Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike is up to stop former Sokoto State Governor Aminu Tambuwal.
Unlike the majority All Progressives Congress (APC) with 59 senators, the minority is split into six political parties – the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 36, Labour Party (LP) with nine, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) with two, Social Democratic Party (SDP) two, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) one and Young Peoples Party (YPP).