Race for senate president: Saraki, Lawan Splits National Assembly

Senate president David Mark and his deputy Ike Ekweremadu led the national assembly all these many years without any noticeable differences. However as they serve out what could be their remaining one month as heads of the upper chamber, it seems they are finally have something they publicly disagree about as they have reportedly aligned with two different camps in the race for senate president.

It has emerged that while Mark backs Senator Ahmed Lawan, the Yobe born frontrunner; Ekweremadu is more disposed to Sen. Bukola Saraki from Kwara state.

While loyalists of Mark believe that Lawan will be the best to ensure “continuity” the legacies of the senate president; Ekweremadu believes that entering into an alliance with Saraki might help him emerge as deputy senate president even under the PDP.

According to the Nation newspaper:

The jostle for Senate Presidency heightened yesterday with many loyalists of the outgoing Senate President David Mark backing the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Ahmad Lawan.
Also, there were indications that Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu might form an alliance with Senator Bukola Saraki also a strong contender in the race.
The alliance according to sources, is to support Saraki for Senate President with Ekweremadu retaining his seat on the condition that he will deliver the PDP Senate Caucus votes for the ex-Kwara State governor.
The Presidency is however having reservations on the “romance” between Ekweremadu and Saraki.
Investigation by our correspondent revealed that some loyalists of the President of the Senate met secretly at the weekend and opted to work for the emergence of Lawan as the head of the eighth Senate.
It was learnt that at the session in Abuja, Mark’s loyalists said Lawan will ensure what they termed “continuity of the legacies of the outgoing Senate President than any other aspirants.
A high-ranking Senator, who spoke with our correspondent, said: “We (loyalists of Mark) met for about three hours and after exhaustive deliberations, we have opted for Lawan for a “seamless transition and continuity of the legacies of the outgoing Senate President.
“We looked at the three candidates and we discovered that Lawan has an edge in all the criteria we spelt out.
“So, most of us in PDP might vote for Lawan whose loyalty, humility and ability to the system cannot be doubted at any time. Lawan is not perfect, we realised that with the onerous responsibility of the Senate Presidency, he can overcome any leadership challenge.”
The source added: “If you look at the emerging politics, it was the North -West that first endorsed Lawan. This is a signal that the President-elect might be disposed to the North-East producing the next President of the Senate.
“When leaders, like Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, Rauf Aregbesola, Ibrahim Gaidam, Abiola Ajimobi, ex-governors Sani Yerima, Bukar Abba Ibrahim, and others are queuing behind Lawan, there must be some merit in the aspirant.
But Saraki camp is giving Lawan a hard fight following a fresh alliance between the Deputy President of the Senate, Chief Ike Ekweremadu and Saraki.
A reliable source added: “Ekweremadu and Saraki have held talks. From preliminary discussions, the Deputy President of the Senate may part ways with Mark on the choice of the President of the eighth Senate.
“The Saraki camp has offered to retain Ekweremadu as the Deputy President of the Senate if he can deliver the block votes of PDP to the ex-governor.
“The latest alliance may be a replica of the politics of how the outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and his deputy, Emeka Ihedioha became the leaders of the House in June 2011.
“One of the reasons Ekweremadu is tagging along with Saraki is to protect the South-East from being schemed out of power in the new government.
“Ekweremadu believed the Igbo must not play second fiddle despite the fact that they did not vote for APC. Saraki relies on this bait to woo Ekweremadu to his side.
“Another factor goading Ekweremadu into an alliance with Saraki is that if the former governor becomes the Senate President, the PDP may have a pedestal to start its revival agenda.”
A government source said: “The presidency has some reservations about the understanding or alliance between Ekweremadu and Saraki more so when the former had been saddled with a responsibility of managing Post-Election Review Committee of the PDP.
A close ally of Ekweremadu said: “All I am aware of is that both Lawan and Saraki have had talks with Ekweremadu. If the Deputy President of the Senate is working out an alliance with Saraki, I will have to find out.”