Minority Parties Start Battle For Principal Offices In National Assembly

Following Tuesday’s elections for the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Deputy Speaker, members of the minority parties have started battling for the remaining principal positions in the Senate and House of Representatives.

Seven different opposition parties are represented in the minority caucus, which has more members than the APC, the current ruling party.

ADC, Labour Party, New Nigerian People’s Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Social Democratic Party, and Youth Progressive Party are among the minority parties in the caucus.

The APC, which holds 59 senators, is the largest party in the Red Chamber, followed by the PDP with 36, the LP with eight, the SDP with two, the NNPP with two, the YPP with one, and the APGA with one.

181 opposition members make up the House of Representatives, including 117 PDP members, 35 LP members, 19 NNPP members, five APGA members, two members of the SDP and ADC, and one member of the YPP. While the APC has 178 elected members in the house.

The APC, the ruling party, will fill the positions for the majority caucus which are the Senate Leader, Senate Deputy Leader, Senate Whip, and Senate Deputy Whip.

While the minority caucus has to battle for the Senate Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Senate Whip, and Deputy Minority Whip.

Two major factions of senators have evolved throughout the leadership tussle so far. The Stability Group backed Godswill Akpabio (senate president) and Jibrin Barau (Deputy senate president), while the Democrats Group supported Abdulaziz Yari and Orji Kalu for Senate President and Deputy Senate President, respectively.

Reliable sources told The PUNCH that Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (APC Ekiti Central) intends to run for Senate Leader. The source claimed that the majority caucus’ Senate Leader will likely be zoned to the southwest.

Bamidele, who served as the Deputy Director-General of the Akpabio/Barau ticket and was one of the highest-ranking lawmakers from the South-West, is rumored to be vying for the position of Senate Leader.

According to the source, Senator Omotayo Buhari (APC Oyo North) had also set his sights on the Senate Leader on the Yari team.

“Senators Opeyemi Bamidele and Buhari have both been eyeing the Senate Leader but now that Senator Akpabio won the Senate President’s seat, Bamidele will likely get it”, the source told the Punch.

“But one cannot tell, because the Senate President from his comments seems like he is willing to integrate as many from the other group into his team. But Bamidele has a better chance, especially because of Buhari’s alliance against the party’s choice.”

According to sources, Senator Francis Fadahunsi (PDP, Osun East) is currently the front-runner to become the Senate Minority leader. Senators Adamu Aliero and Abdul Ningi are reportedly also leading candidates for the position.

If the position is zoned to the South-West, Fadahunsi argued that he is more than competent for it. He continued by saying that during the most recent general elections, the PDP received more votes in Osun State.

He believes that he would have an advantage nonetheless because he is one of the ranking senators from the South-West.

“Yes, I am interested in the position of the Senate Leader. If the position is zoned to the South-West, then I am eminently qualified for the position”, Fadahunsi said as quoted by the Punch.

“I am a major and experienced lawmaker in the South-West PDP. The South-East zone can also be considered, having lost out of the presiding officers, but the party didn’t even get enough votes there.”