Minority Leader: Wike’s Loyalist, Nwuke Reacts To PDP’s Nomination Of Tambuwal

A former member of the House of Representatives, Ogbonna Nwuke has reacted to the alleged nomination of the immediate past Governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal for the position of Senate Minority Leader of the 10th Senate by the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP).

Naija News had earlier the PDP anointed Tambuwal for the position of Senate Minority Leader of the 10th Senate.

Recalls that the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) held a meeting with senators elected on the party’s platform on Monday at the Wadata Plaza, the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.

It was, however, learnt that at the meeting which was held by seven NWC members and 25 out of 36 PDP Senators resolved to adopt Tambuwal as its candidate for the position of Minority Leader of the Senate.

But the PDP NWC resolved to delay the announcement of Tambuwal’s nomination until the majority of its Senators and NWC members return to Abuja from the Sallah break.

Reacting to the development, Nwuke, who is an ally of the former Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, claimed that the leadership of the PDP was working against precedents.

According to him, the popularity of a candidate rather than his endorsement by a party would determine if he will win.

He said the PDP leadership needs to understand the dynamics of the game while noting that there are other candidates who have signified interest in the job of minority leader, so the party cannot disenfranchise them.

Nwuke, a former Commissioner for Information and Communications in Rivers State, told The Punch that “We have heard that the PDP or a group of persons acting in the name of the party has nominated the former Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal as the official candidate for the position of minority leader in the 10th Senate.

“Of course, those who are projecting Tambuwal as the one to represent the PDP interest acted well within their rights either as individuals or a group.

“But what is instructive as we get ready for a vote is the precedence that has been laid previously in the Red and Green Chambers as well.

“Those who have won in the past had done so obasebasedeon their clarity among their colleagues, not necessarily on the dictates of a party platform or the plot of a group of persons acting in the name of a party.” 

Speaking further, he said Bukola Saraki emerged as the Senate President under former president Muhammadu Buhari even though “He was not the choice of the APC leadership that he was part of.

“He garnered the majority votes and sat pretty in office. Tambuwal is a classic example of what played out on the floor of the parliament. Mulikat Akande was the official candidate of the PDP in the 7th Assembly during the Jonathan era but Tambuwal ran against what could be considered party directive and won. He became Speaker.

“Ndudi Elumelu is also a recent example. He was not the choice of the PDP machine but he was elected minority leader of the House of Representatives. The heavens did not fall.

“The PDP has interests. Those outside of the PDP who belong to other parties have their onterintereststhe end of the day, those who enjoy the support of their colleagues will be elected into majority and minority positions. As a person, Tambuwal will discover how popular the decision to field him is at this point on the floor.”

Meanwhile, indications are that Tambuwal might have to face a tougher battle ahead as Wike has reportedly met with the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio to influence the outcome of the position.

However, this platform gathered that the All Progressive Congress (APC) caucus has not finalised the list of principal officers.

It was learnt that the caucus meeting of the ruling party has been scheduled for July 10, where the lawmakers would decide but no consensus had yet to be reached on the nominations.

Party sources also attributed the delay to the contest between Senator Ali Ndume and Opeyemi Bamidele for the Senate majority leader position.