* Cautions against overhyped expectations from incoming govt
Former governor of Kwara State, Bukola Saraki, and his main challenger for the office of Senate President from Yobe State, Ahmed Lawan on Saturday literally turned the venue of a retreat by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja into an avenue for ?muscle flexing.
Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the party, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun has disclosed that the incoming administration of Muhammadu Buhari would need N4.1 trillion for take-off. He also pleaded with Nigerians to temper their grand expectations from the incoming government with realism.
Each of the two contestants made moves to prove to Senators that they had stronger following to win the Senatorial contest when the 7th National Assembly finally takes off early June.
Supporters of the two Senate Presidential aspirants dissolved into different caucuses to muster strength on how to ensure the emergence of their aspirants as Senate President, moving in and out of the retreat?s venue, the Ibeto Hotel, to brain storm.
From the caucus meetings emerged a group which referred to itself as the?Senate Unity Forum and declared that all its members had endorsed the candidature of Lawan.
Senator Barnabas Gemade, who spoke for the group, announced that another contestant in the race, Senator George Akume (Benue) had stepped down for Ahmed.
However, he did not make open the numerical strength of the forum.
Not long after, however, another group named, Like Minds Senators, declared support for Saraki.
Its spokesperson, Dino Melaye, said those in the group totaled 35, contending that the position of the Senate President should automatically go to the Middle Belt zone of Nigeria.
He told newsmen: ?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 will eventually become the Chairman of the National Assembly and relate with the executive on behalf of Nigerians, fellow Senators and the National Assembly as an institution.
?Furthermore, leadership of the National Assembly is about the Senator who has the wherewithal to stabilise the legislative institution, working with the executive and judicial arm of government to be effective and performance to their optimal capacity.?
He spoke further: ??In addition, we are all 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 reaffirmed our collective commitment and resolution to ensure that the candidature of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the Senate President of the 8th Assembly.
?We have also resolved that the office of the deputy Senate President be zoned to the North East.?
The leadership of the APC has consistently rejected suggestions for?the use of zoning for determining those who will constitute the leadership of the new National Assembly.
In his welcome address at the retreat, Odigie-Oyegun lamented the poor state of the economy. According to him, the incoming government of General Muhammadu Buhari needs N4.1 trillion for take off.
Declaring that ?extraordinary times require extraordinary actions,? Oyegun enjoined the lawmakers to embrace the challenges of fixing the multifaceted problems of the country.
He said: ?Make no mistake about it, the days ahead will be tough, and this is not crying wolf. From the first day of this government, a total of 4.1 trillion Naira will be required for sundry expenses, including oil subsidy payment, arrears of salaries at federal and state levels and debt servicing, just to mention a few.
?Put this against the background of the falling oil prices, the unprecedented 60-billion-dollar debt which the outgoing government has left for the incoming one, the largely depleted Excess Crude Account (ECA), the 60 billion dollars that have been lost in the last four years to crude oil theft (and which are perhaps still being lost as we speak), the need to rapidly create jobs for our teeming army of unemployed youths, enhance the security of the citizenry and improve the economy, and you will begin to understand the enormity of the challenges ahead.
?This is not a lamentation forum, but still, we must tell ourselves the truth about the state of the nation, and the expectations of our people. In?fact, to a number of our compatriots, by May 30th, a day after the swearing of our President-elect, all the streets in Nigeria will be air conditioned while electricity will become stable and fuel scarcity will be a thing of the past.
?Yes, we will get there, but it won?t happen overnight. You, our Senators-elect, will be called upon to take extraordinary actions to address the extraordinary challenges that confront our nation.
?The incoming President, more than anyone else, needs the support and cooperation of the 8th National Assembly to fulfill his campaign promise to Nigerians.
?You may be required to pass important bills at very short notices. This will not be unprecedented but will require a buy-in to the programmes of the President and the Party and a willingness to work with him and the party for the benefit of all Nigerians. The demands on you will be tasking, but you are up to the task!
?Fortunately we have the numbers, even though we believe that a bipartisan effort ? to which we are open ? will be a better deal And there is good news! You, our Senators-elect, share in the dreams of the President and our party to make our country great again.
?May I also remind you that all eyes will be on our party ? and by extension on all of you ? to see if our government will walk its talk in terms of running a lean and effective government, one that eschews waste, corruption and indiscipline, and one that will harness the nation?s human, material and natural resources for the well being of the people?.
