The battle to succeed Bukola Saraki as President of the Senate has gained momentum. Already, key contenders for the top legislative job, are traversing every nook and cranny of the country, soliciting for support.

The three top contenders are the current Senate Leader, Ahmad Lawan, former Senate Leader, Mohammed Ali Ndume and chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Danjuma Goje. Former Governor of Abia State and senator-elect, Orji Uzor Kalu who until recently was among the top candidates for the job, has now settled for the position of the Deputy President of the Senate.

Though the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has endorsed the candidacy of Lawan, Ndume, who was sacked in 2017 as Leader of the Senate, has however vowed not to throw in the towel. He said the open endorsement of Lawan by the national chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole, was unconstitutional and an affront on the parliament, which he said must be independent.

Saturday Sun has learnt that there is a gang up against the candidacy of Lawan. It was gathered that Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators-elect, are plotting to scuttle Lawan’s emergence. The PDP, which currently has 43 senators-elect, wants a repeat of 2015, when it pitched its tent with Saraki to emerge as Senate President.

A ranking PDP senator who spoke to Saturday Sun in confidence, said opposition lawmakers will resist any plans by the ruling APC to foist its stooge on the parliament. He insisted that only a candidate ready to protect the independence of the Senate will get their votes.

He said: “I am a senator and I don’t need the permission of a party chairman who has no respect for a parliament to determine who should lead us. If the APC thinks it can decide for us, let them wait and see what we are planning. As they are meeting and strategising, we are also doing it.

“We have the number and there are APC senators who are not comfortable with the hard stance of APC. The election will be by secret ballot and no one will know who each senator will vote for. The outcome of that day will shock many people. We will have a vibrant Senate and those thinking that they can control us will be disappointed.”

Giving credence to the claim, chairman of South East Caucus in the Senate, Enyinnaya Abaribe, told Saturday Sun that APC will not be allowed to impose a stooge on the 9th Senate. He berated Oshiomhole and accused him of misleading the public.

Abaribe said Oshiomhole’s utterances are demarketing Lawan. He said no Senate President will possess any absolute powers to behave like a sole administrator. He said PDP senators were meeting and may likely come up with a candidate to challenge the APC. He insisted that the Standing Rules of the Senate and Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria make it clear on how presiding officers of the Senate will emerge.

“Oshiomhole is ignorant. When we are going to vote on that day, Oshiomhole or APC leaders will not be on the floor. Only senators will vote. I also pity Lawan. I think Oshiomhole is demarketing Lawan. His statement that only APC senators will be appointed chairmen of committees is foolish. Not even the Senate President can unilaterally pick committee chairmen. There is a selection committee that handles that.

Vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Works and a member the PDP who recently won re-election, Clifford Ordia, told Saturday Sun that some leaders should understand the workings of the various institutions of government, ignorantly peddle half-truths. Ordia, apparently referring to Oshiomhole, said the Senate is a sacred institution strangers have no business with.

He said: “I have been following developments and I feel sad when people express their ignorance publicly. Those plotting to install a stooge they can manipulate, have left out the PDP. They think they can just do what they like and everybody will stop talking. That will not happen.

“Unfortunately, only senators can vote on that day. We will see how they will force us to do what they want. Senators were elected by their various constituents. We were not sent to Abuja to take instructions from someone who doesn’t know how we got here in the first place. The PDP in the Senate will wait and see.”

Senator Chukwuka Utazi, who heads the committee on Anti-corruption and Financial Crimes, said he will not indulge people who have no business with parliamentary understanding. He told Saturday Sun that on the day presiding officers of the Senate will be elected; those issuing threats will not be on ground to vote.

“I don’t want to join issues with anybody. How can I join issues with people who can only talk, but can’t vote? On the day of election, visitors will stay in their place and we will vote in those that we want. They will not have a say. If that is the case, why should we join issues with them?

“Those who are contesting are talking to us. We know ourselves and we know those who are competent. On that day, we will vote for a competent President of the Senate. We shall see on that day who will have the final say. Those expressing their ignorance should wait until we elect those we want,” he said.

Although Goje is yet to officially join the race, it was gathered that he may get the support of former governors. When the 9th Senate is inaugurated, it will have over 30 former governors and deputies. As a former governor, minister and a PDP member, Goje may get the blessing of his former colleagues. The PDP may also throw its weight behind him if he eventually joins the race in the coming days.

•Excerpted from a Saturday Sun report