Senate Presidency : Crisis Rocks NASS, After Ignoring Tinubu, Yari Meets Tambuwal, Other PDP Senators-elect
Former Zamfara State governor and Senator-elect, Abdul’Aziz Yari, on Saturday met with Governor Aminu Tambuwal of Sokoto State and some other Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senators-elect in Bayelsa.
The burial ceremony of the father of Governor Douye Diri, which took place on Saturday, was said to have provided opportunity for the PDP senators-elect to meet with Yari.
According to a source, the meeting was not unconnected to Yari’s quest to emerge as Senate President in the 10th National Assembly.
Naija News House reports that the former Zamfara governor, had refused to step down from the Senate Presidency race despite his party – the All Progressives Congress and President-elect, Bola Tinubu, reported endorsement of Godswill Akpabio for the position.
Though details of the meeting was not made known at the time of filing this report, it was earlier reported that PDP senators-elect had rejected Akpabio endorsements. .
The former Zamfara governor had also dismissed the endorsement of Akpabio by Tinubu, saying the contest for the Senate Presidency would be based on constitutional provisions and not instructions by anyone
“What is going to happen that day, it is going to happen based on the instructions of the constitution and not for anyone, ” Yari was quoted to have said.
Meanwhile, the Vice President, Nigerian Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Council, Balarabe Rufai, has called on Yari to sheath his sword and accept the position of APC on Sen Godswill Akpabio as Senate President.
Rufai who is also the immediate past National Co-ordinator of Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) made the call in a statement on Saturday in Abuja .
He called on Yari to allow the position of his party the All Progressives Congress (APC) and that of his President-elect to come into play and not seek to contest for the position.
According to him, in view of the ongoing permutations and leadership tussle of the 10th National Assembly, particularly that of the Senate, a decision was taken on Saturday night at the instance of the President-elect.
“The decison is that Sen. GodsWill Akpabio should emerge as the Senate President while Sen. Barau Jibrin from Kano State should be his Deputy .
“This was endorsed by the likes of Sen. Ali Ndume from Borno State, Sen. David Umahi of Ebonyi State, for equity, fairness, and to balance the positions for national cohesion.
“However, this appeared not to go down well with Sen. AbdulAzeel Yari from Zamfara, who on media reports, insists on contesting for the Senate Presidency.”
Rufai said that would not be good for the nation at the moment when it needed unity and peace which the president elect intended to do for national healing and reconciliation.
“In this regards, I call on His Excellency, Sen. AbdulAzeel Yari, to sheath his sword and allow the position of his party and that of his President-elect to come into play,” he said.
