Senate to get new leaders

Barring any last minute change, a senator from the North West may soon emerge as new Senate majority leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Lillian Ekwunife (PDP Anambra Central), may be announced as the new minority leader.

Appointments of the two by their respective political parties followed defection of the former leader, Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) from the ruling APC to the PDP last week.

The former minority leader, Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South), had last month, after failure to secure the PDP governorship ticket defected to the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), for a return ticket to the Senate in 2023 general election.

Abdullahi, after failing to get the governorship ticket of APC in Kebbi State clinched a return ticket in the PDP.

Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, gave a hint of the impending changes in leadership positions of the Senate, on Monday.

In a statement he issued in Abuja, the former Abia State governor said the vacancies created during party primaries should be replaced without further delay.

According to him, during primaries by political parties and for Senate re-elections in particular, some senators, including principal officers, fell out with their respective political parties and switched to other parties.

“This switch automatically overturned the principal office positions earlier held by the distinguished senators.

“The vacancies created are expected to be replaced in earnest.

“The vacant positions do not call for election on the floor of the Senate. It, therefore, falls on the Senate caucus of the zones that produced the principal officers to select replacements from their zones.”

Kalu said the caucus is expected to write their party about the nomination for onward transmission to the Senate president.

Sources from the two affected caucuses said the required letters of change of leadership had been submitted in writing to the national executives of APC and the PDP for formal notification of the Senate president, who is expected to make the announcement at the beginning of plenary today. (Daily Sun)