David Mark, Ekwerenmadu Returned As Senate President, Deputy

The Senate arm of the National Assembly this morning re-elected Senator David Mark as the President of the seventh Senate. The senators also unanimously elected Senator Ike Ekwerenmadu as the Deputy Senate. This brings to an end the battle for the position which had raged for some weeks.  

  Senator Mark, who was clad in a white flowing garment after his swearing in, promised to be loyal to his colleagues.  

  He said his election and the inauguration of the seventh senate was another milestone in the nation's democratic history.  

  According to him, the last senate was responsive, but this senate is expected to do better than the last. He also admonished for unity and team-work saying though the senators had diverse backgrounds, the country can only move forward if they all put it together for advancement.  

  'We will have to listen more to the civil society, organised labour and the constituents. We will consult our constituents from time to time,' he said.  

  David Mark reminded his colleagues that in 2014, Nigeria would be 100 years old and that the country seriously needed development which the senate must try to work for.  

  Reminding them that President Goodluck Jonathan made transformation the bed-rock of his campaign to win the mandate of the people, he said: 'We must work beyond crisis management to transformation.  

  'Nigerians complain that our democracy is too expensive. We will reduce the cost of governance at all levels and strengthen the National Assembly as it relates to budgeting and oversight.  

  As at the time of filing this report, the House of Representatives members were trying to elect their Speaker between Aminu Tambuwal and Mulikat Akande-Adeola. They did not agree for Adeola Muraino, who is seen as former President Olusegun Obasanjo's candidate, to be nominated or voted for.