Ahead of the resumption of plenary July 4th by the Senators, the battle for who become the minority leaders from all indications is tearing the parties apart.
The six opposition political parties in the Senate are the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP; Labour Party, LP; New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP; Social Democratic Party, SDP; All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and the Young Progressives Party, YPP.
In the Senate, the positions for grab are the Majority Leader, Chief Whip, Deputy Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Whip, Minority Leader, Minority Whip, Deputy Minority Leader and Deputy Minority Whip.
With the completion of the elections, the APC has emerged as the majority party in the Senate with 59 Senators, the major opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has 36; the Labour Party, LP has 8; the New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP with 2; the Social Democratic Party, SDP has 2 while the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA and the Young Progressives Party, YPP with one Senator each.
With the composition of the membership of the 10th Senate finalised, the six opposition parties have altogether 50 senators-elect as against APC’s 59.
Meanwhile, some Senators of the opposition political parties said yesterday that no Senator has yet been endorsed or selected for any Minority position as this would await due process as agreed by all Minority Parties in their last meeting.
According to them in a statement jointly signed in Abuja, the Senators who vowed that they resist ongoing moves to destabilise Minority Parties in the Senate, threatened that attempt to foist a one party dictatorship would be resisted and would fail.
The statement was signed by former Governor of Kebbi State, Senator Adamu Aliero; immediate past Governor of Sokoto State and former Speaker, House of Representatives, Senator Aminu Tambuwal; former Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson and former Senate Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Abdul Ningi.
Others are Senators Patrick Abba Moro; Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi; Sumaila Kawu and Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah.
The statement read, "It has come to the notice of the Minority Political Parties in the Senate of an attempt by forces inside and outside the Senate to divide the Minority Parties and foist a pliant and compromised leadership on them.
"We have pledged to work constructively with the new Senate leadership and the Executive branch to deliver good governance to the Nigerian people. We consequently hereby advise and caution that they should not aid any group inside or outside the Senate to divide and destabilise the minority parties and the Senate institution.
"Senators of the minority Parties would meet when the Senate reconvenes and, in consultation with our respective political parties, would select its leaders without undue interference from anti democratic forces within or outside the Senate.
"For the avoidance of doubt, no Senator has yet been endorsed or selected for any Minority position as this would await due process as agreed by all Minority Parties in their last meeting.
"Attempt to foist a one party dictatorship would be resisted and would fail.
"We call on all members of the Minority Political Parties to work together in unity to defend the democratic institution of the Senate and Nigeria."
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