Ndume, Bamidele Tussle For Senate Leader Puts Akpabio In Dilemma

The decision of Senator Opeyemi Bamidele and Senator Ali Ndume to contest for the Senate Leader position has reportedly placed Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, in a difficult position.

Naija News reports that the National Assembly is resuming tomorrow for full legislative duties and Akpabio is set to announce principal officers.

Positions to be filled include Senate Leader, Deputy Leader, Senate Chief Whip and Deputy Chief Whip.

Also Senate Minority Leader, Deputy Minority Leader, Minority Chief Whip and Deputy Minority Chief Whip.

Ali Ndume (Borno South) and Bamidele (Ekiti Central) on Sunday confirmed their interest.

Ndume said: “I’m interested but I am not desperate to be the Senate Leader. I will leave everything to God.”

“Very true, I am vying for the office with Sen. Ndume,” Bamidele told The Nation.

Meanwhile, the battle for minority leader is more intense in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and opposition parties’ caucus.

The minority is split into six political parties – the PDP with 36, Labour Party (LP) with nine, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) with two, Social Democratic Party (SDP) with two, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) one and Young Peoples Party (YPP).

Five Senators, among the opposition, have been speculated as likely to be the Minority leader.

They are: Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto South), a former Speaker of the House of Reps; ex-Kebbi State Governor and former FCT Minister Adamu Aliero (Kebbi Central); former Senate Leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North); Jarigbe Agom Jarigbe (from Cross River North); and Mwadkwon Simon Davou (Plateau North)

While Ndume, who is a former Senate Leader, and a friend of Vice President Kashim Shettima. Bamidele is a die-hard loyalist of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The scenario has put the President of the Senate, His Excellency Godswill Akpabio in dilemma.

A top source, who spoke in confidence, said: “Ndume was the DG of Akpabio’s campaign and Bamidele coordinated all covert strategies which made Akpabio to win. The situation has created a dilemma for the President of the Senate.”

Another source added: ”It has been an unwritten tradition that the DG of the campaign of a President of the Senate will be the Senate Leader.

“During David Mark’s tenure, Sen. Victor Ndoma-Egba was the DG of his campaign and he became the Senate Leader. Ndume was the DG of Saraki’s camp and he became the Senate Leader in 2015 and when Sen. Yahaya led the campaign of Ahmad Lawan, he was chosen as the Senate Leader.

“The indices are changing because Sen. Bamidele is a strong contender for Senate Leader as a” godson” of the President. The adoption of campaign DG as a Senate Leader is not in our Standing Rules.”