Pro-Mark Senators lobby Senators-elect in Abuja

Posted by admin Legislature, Senate Monday, May 2nd, 2011

Horse-trading for the President of the Senate began yesterday in Abuja, with some Senators loyal to the incumbent, Chief David Mark, lobbying some Senators-elect.

It was also learnt that Mark’s loyalists have started reaching out to caucuses from the six geopolitical zones.

Some old senators met with some senators-elect in Asokoro, Abuja on why Mark should be retained’

It was learnt that the session was informed by apprehension on the mindset of President Goodluck Jonathan on the power sharing formula in the 7th National Assembly.

Although the President was said to have assured the National Assembly leadership that he would retain the power sharing formula in the legislative arm, pro-Mark Senators are not taking things for granted.

Besides meeting the senators-elect, Mark’s loyalists have also held talks with caucus leaders of the six geopolitical zones in the Senate.

An old Senator, who pleaded anonymity, said: “The search for a new President of the Senate is not a tea-party. A lot of indices like ethnic and religious matters are creeping into the issue.

“So, we decided to meet with Senators-elect to solicit support for Mark because high-ranking Senators are less than one-third of the new Senate.

“Mark needs the support of the Senators-elect to be able to return to office. It is part of horse-trading when a new National Assembly is being convened.

“We are spearheading Mark’s campaign in view of the maturity and spirit of team work with which he has piloted the affairs of the Senate in the last four years.

“We need to sell Mark’s qualities to avoid rumpus at the beginning of the new legislative year.”

Another source at the meeting confirmed that Mark has been reaching out to senators-elect, physically and by telephone.

The source added: “We were briefed at the meeting on how Mark has tried to explain his agenda to the senators-elect through interaction.”

The senator, however, claimed that major challenges facing the new National Assembly are religious factor and how to ensure ethnic balance.

The Senator said: “Some senators are trying to prevail on the Southeast Caucus in the National Assembly to forget its quest for the Speaker of the House of Representatives and retain only the Office of the Deputy President of the Senate.

“If Mark remains as we are advocating and the Southeast produces the Speaker, the 7th National Assembly will run into a crisis with a Christian-Christian ticket. And that may confirm the fears of the Congress for Progressive Change, which led to the riots in the North after the presidential election.

“Even the US Government has advised President Goodluck Jonathan to reach out to the North. If we do not accommodate the core North in the power sharing formula in the new National Assembly, we may be starting on a shaky note.

“So, we are reaching out to our colleagues in the House of Representatives to allow a Muslim from either the Southwest or the Northwest/Northeast to be Speaker.”

Responding to a question, a returnee senator from the Northcentral said: “We rejected a suggestion that Mark should shelve his ambition for national unity because all over the world experience counts in the legislature. Jonathan’s era requires serious business to fix the country and we cannot afford to start all over.

“As a way out, it was suggested that the President should run a Government of National Unity, which will enable us to leave all the offices open in the National Assembly by forgetting the issue of zoning.”

It was gathered last night that the old senators and the freshers may meet either tomorrow or on Thursday in Abuja.

-The Nationwp_posts