Senator Bukola Saraki may have emerged the Senate President even before the senators’ election as out of 109 senators, 64 ranking and new senators-elect have endorsed him as the next senator to succeed the outgoing President, Davi Mark.
As the race for the Senate presidency intensifies, report according to ThisDay Newspaperhas it that 64 ranking and new senators-elect met yesterday at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, to endorse the former Kwara State governor, Senator Bukola Saraki, for the post of Senate president.
A source who was at the meeting said that the senators who are backing Saraki, who is from the North-central geopolitical zone, had decided to throw their weight behind the former Kwara governor, because they want a “Senate president who is a product of the members and not imposed by a godfather.”
He said those present at the meeting comprised 19 senators elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and 45 from the APC.
Providing more insight, he said those that attended the meeting included Senators Muhammad Adamu Aliero, Danjuma Goje, Andy Uba, Mohammed Ali Ndume and Gilbert Nnaji.
Others include Dino Melaye and Isiaka Adeleke, who have just won elections to the senate, the three senators representing Delta State and two from Edo State, among others.
As reported by THISDAY, Saraki’s endorsement is aimed at thwarting attempts by the APC to zone the Senate presidency to the North-east geopolitical zone, and efforts by the National Leader of the party Bola Tinubu, to foist Senator Ahmed Lawan, his preferred candidate from Yobe State, as Senate president.
Saraki’s endorsement came as former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar yesterday said the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was working hard to amicably resolve the raging tussle over the zoning of principal offices of the National Assembly.
Unless there is realignment before the senate actual election, that will be capable of breaking the ranks of the senators who have endorsed Saraki, he has emerged the next senate president..
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