Senate Presidency: Why We Adopted Saraki As Sole Candidate – APC Senators-elect

SAN FRANCISCO, May 22, (THEWILL) –  A group of All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators-elect, Saturday in Abuja, adopted Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the sole candidate for the position of the Senate President in the 8th National Assembly.

The 35 Senators-elect, under the aegis of Like Minds Senators, adopted Saraki in a resolution arrived at during the retreat organised by the party to equip and empower the Senators-Elect for the challenges ahead.

The resolution read by the leader of the group and Senator-elect for Kogi State, Comrade Dino Melaye, said: “We commend the leadership of our party for this timely and well-focused exercise.

“The issue of National Assembly leadership is about integrity, competence, discipline and leadership skills and not about fixing of candidates just for mere horse-trading. Our stand is about electing a senator who eventually becomes the chairman of National Assembly and relates with the executive on behalf of Nigerians, fellow Senators and the National Assembly as an institution.

“Furthermore leadership of National Assembly, is about the Senator that has the wherewithal to stabilise the legislative institution, working with the executive and judicial arm of government to be effective and perform to their optimal capacity.

“In addition, we are aware of the fact that ALL Senators from the North Central zone have taken a firm position that they are only interested in the office of the Senate President which has been earlier zoned by the National Working Committee of our party and we are also aware that North Central Senators have resolved to abide by the resolution of the zone on a single candidate and anything short of this is an attempt to jeopardise the collective interest of the zone.

“Of the 59 Senators of the APC, 35 of us present here today hereby reaffirm our collective commitment and resolution to ensure that the candidature of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the Senate President of 8th Assembly.

“ We also resolved that the office of the Deputy Senate President be zoned to the North East.”