Senate Presidency: 70 Senators-elect meet Barau Jibrin

As the contest for Senate presidency of the 10th National Assembly begins to gather momentum, 70 Senators-elect met at the Abuja residence of one of the contestants, Senator Barau Jibrin of All Progressives Congress (APC), Kano State, to strengthen political bond ahead of the inauguration of the National Assembly in June.

The meeting was originally planned as a luncheon at the NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja, for political like-minds, after presentation of Certificates of Return to them on Tuesday.

Ninety-eight out of 109 senators-elect received their Certificates of Return from the national commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

A total of seven political parties won senatorial seats in the Senate with the APC having a total of 57 seats. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 29 seats; Labour Party got six; New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) won two; Social Democratic Party (SDP) also got two; the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and Young Peoples Party (YPP) won one each.

The meeting, which lasted for over an hour, was a political strategy by Jibrin, who is the incumbent Chairman of Senate’s Appropriation Committee and third-term Senator, to sway support for himself.

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

A senator-elect, who attended the meeting, said the attendance cut across political divides, as senators-elect from other political parties were present.

“Jibrin has a thorough understanding of parliamentary proceedings and he is an easy-going fellow. He has my vote come June, when the 10th Assembly will be inaugurated,” a lawmaker, who is from the Southern part of the country, said.

Also, a Senator-elect from the South-South, who is going to the Senate for the first time, said: “Senator Jibrin will surely have my vote for the Senate Presidency. He is a fantastic lawmaker with good leadership qualities.”

Jibrin organised the event to enable him interact and familiarise with his colleagues.

However, after swearing-in on May 29, 2023, the new president, in the second week of his tenure, will transmit a Proclamation Letter to the National Assembly to terminate the Ninth Assembly and kick-start the 10th Assembly. This will give room for the emergence of new presiding officers for the legislature.