A re-elected member of the National Assembly and a contender for the Presidency of the 10^th Senate, Senator Jibrin Barau (APC, Kano), has hosted 70 senators-elect in Abuja.

The aim of the hosting at Trascorp Hilton during the week was for the Senators-elect to form the needed bond and friendships, among themselves, ahead of the inauguration of the federal parliament in June, 2023.

THISDAY learnt that Senator Barau, who currently chairs the Senate Committee on Appropriations, organised the event to enable him to interact with his colleagues.

“It was to enable him to interact and familiarize himself with his colleagues and nothing more”.

The meeting, which lasted for over an hour, saw Barau, a third-timer at the Red Chamber and fourth-timer at the National Assembly, having served at the House of Representatives (1999-2003), setting up the move that will allow the Senators-elect to begin to form the needed bond among themselves to make the 10^th Senate very successful.

Regarded as a party man and an ardent supporter of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Barau is the only APC Senator that won a senatorial seat from Kano State.

A ranking Senator who was also re-elected who attended the meeting, told THISDAY at the weekend that the attendance was not limited to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to him, Senators-elect who are members of other political parties attended the party.

He said: “As a second timer at the red chamber, I know Barau because I have interacted with him previously. He has a thorough understanding of parliamentary proceedings and he is an easy-going fellow. He has my vote come June when the 10^th assembly will be inaugurated”.

Another Senator-elect from the South-South zone, who is going to the Senate for the first time, also said “Senator Barau will surely have my vote for the Senate Presidency, he is a fantastic lawmaker with good leadership qualities. He has been supportive of us from when he was elected to serve as the chairman of the APC Senatorial candidates forum to date.”

No fewer than 98 out of 109 senators were given certificates of return by the national commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, on Tuesday.

A total of seven political parties won Senatorial seats with APC topping the list with 57 seats.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 29 seats; Labour Party six; New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) two; Social Democratic Party (SDP) also two; the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Young Peoples Party (YPP) won one seat each.

After taking oath of office on May 29, 2023, the new president is expected by early June, to transmit a proclamation letter to the National Assembly to terminate the Ninth Assembly and kick-start the 10^th Assembly.

This will give room for the emergence of new presiding officers for the legislature. (THISDAY)

•Senator Jibrin Barau

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