The new Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, has stated that a single political party cannot determine the principal office holders of the Senate.
Bamidele also dismissed talks that both the majority and minority leadership positions were sent from the presidency.
He stated that apart from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), six other parties had elected members in the 10th Senate.
Members of the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of not honouring the list for minority leadership it sent.
But Bamidele said the emergence of the principal officers was not rancorous as he maintained that stakeholders came together to fill the minority leadership positions.
“The minority caucus leadership positions was not entirely a decision that one single political party could determine because more than one political party is involved in the 10th Senate,” Bamidele said.
“Thirty-eight out of the 50 minority caucus members approved the appointment of the minority principal officers after due consultations with relevant stakeholders.
“The minority caucus also had a matured discussion at an executive plenary session, where they jointly agreed on the principal officers positions and approved the announcement by the senate president.”
The Senate after its recess and Sallah break resumed on Tuesday to announce the emergence of Senator Bamidele as its majority leader.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio after welcoming colleagues said the APC caucus of the senate after due consultation has emerged with their leadership which he said should be the fulcrum of their businesses in the chamber.
“Senator Muhammed Ali Ndume will be the chief whip of the 10th senate and Senator David Umahi by all consent will act as the deputy leader of the senate and Senator Lola Ashiru as deputy senate whip,” Akpabio said.
