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Senate Presidency: PDP Senators-elect Reject Akpabio

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The aspiration of the annointed candidate for the office of the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has suffered a setback as the major opposition caucus in the Senate has rejected his choice.

The much-awaited zoning arrangement for the leadership of the 10th Assembly was made public at the end of an eight-man caucus meeting of the All Progressives Congress (APC) held in President-elect, Bola Tinubu’s Abuja residence on Friday morning.

Akpabio, who joined the ruling APC in the build-up to the 2019 general election, is the preferred candidate of the President-elect and the leadership of the ruling party. While Senator Jibril Barau from Kano State has been picked as Deputy Senate President.

For the incoming House of Representatives, the APC Caucus led by Tinubu opted for Hon. Tajudeen Abbas from Kaduna State and Hon. Benjamin Kalu from Abia State as Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively.

LEADERSHIP reports that Senator Barau and Hon. Abbas are from the same North-West zone, a development that may put spanner in the works of the APC Caucus.

Also, Akpabio is not in the good books of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the National Assembly both the outgoing 9th Assembly and the incoming 10th Assembly, hence all entreaties from the former Akwa Ibom State Governor have fell on the PDP lawmakers-elect’s deaf ears.

He is said to enjoy the support of only three of the 36 PDP Senators-elect. The three Akpabio’s supporters are Senators-elect from Rivers State because of Governor Nyesom Wike’s alliance with APC at the centre.

“He is offering us money but we don’t want his money because he is not principled. He will eventually sell out the Senate if allowed to emerge the Senate President.

“Remember what he did in 2018/2019. The PDP honoured him as a first-timer in the Senate by giving him an exalted position of Minority Leader. Without any just cause, save for his pocket and selfish interest, he abandoned the PDP midstream and joined APC. He was rewarded with a ministerial position. We can’t trust such person as a Senate President, he is unstable,” a PDP Senator-elect from South-South, who did not want to be named, said.

Also, it was learnt that another thing against the APC choice, is the way he embarrassed and threw the federal lawmakers under the bus during a Senate hearing on Niger Delta Affairs Ministry under him in 2021.

“His behaviour that day shows someone who hate the legislators’ guts and he is ready to shut the door of reconciliation.

“Another reason why most legislagors are afraid of supporting Akpabio is his connection to the travails of two South-South Senators, Senator Bassey (Akpan) of Akwa Ibom and Senator Peter Nwaoboshi of Delta,” the lawmaker added.

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No Going Back On Proposed Nationwide Strike – NLC

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The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has debunked speculations that it might back down on its proposed industrial action slated nationwide for Wednesday.

It said the only reason it would shelve the strike is when the Federal Government and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited NNPCL did the needful by returning to status quo on the fuel subsidy removal issue.

NLC declared the position in a statement by Benson Upah, Head of Information and Public Affairs on Sunday.

The workers’ body was reacting to a story in a national newspaper on Sunday.

It described the report as laughable and desperate attempt by enemies of the people to polarise Nigeria Labour Congress along ethnic or regional lines on an issue with a national spread.

According to Upah, “this scenario only plays in their imagination as Nigeria Labour Congress continues to be the biggest pan-Nigerian organisation united by a common vision/ mission and shared national values.”

“On the looming strike, we want to assure that all the affiliate unions of the Congress stand together with an unshakeable resolve to prosecute, come Wednesday, except the NNPC and Government do the needful.

“Whereas, primordial sentiments such as religion, region or ethnicity may be refuge for some, at the Nigeria Labour Congress, they have no place. What counts for us are issues such as the mindless and criminal increase in the pump price of pms whose burden will be borne by the already impoverished communities of the poor across Nigeria,” it stated.

NLC said the burden of the malevolent policy would not be borne by other segments of the country to the exclusion of the North or South-West, hence, there is no reason for those regions to back out of the strike.”

Recall that the President, Bola Tinubu had during his inaugural speech declared that the era of subsidy for petroleum products was gone, a development that has had ripple effect on the Nigerian polity since May 29, 2023.

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Daniel Bwala List Positions Tinubu Should Not Appoint Politicians To Occupy

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Daniel Bwala, a spokesman for Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has advised President Bola Tinubu ahead of the constitution of his cabinet.

Bwala listed five offices Tinubu should not appoint politicians to occupy.

Tweeting, Bwala wrote: “No 16th biggest test would the appointment of these;

Atiku’s aide list positions Tinubu should not appoint politicians to occupy

Daniel Bwala, a spokesman for Atiku Abubakar, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has advised President Bola Tinubu ahead of the constitution of his cabinet.

Bwala listed five offices Tinubu should not appoint politicians to occupy.

Tweeting, Bwala wrote: “No 16th biggest test would the appointment of these;

1. National Security Adviser

2. Minister of the economy

3. Director General of SSS and NIA

4. Minister of Petroleum

5. Central Bank Governor

“He must not appoint a politician or quasi-politician for any of these roles, or else he will repeat history.”

Tinubu was inaugurated on May 29 in Abuja.

This was after he won the 2023 presidential election. He defeated Atiku, Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP), and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP).

However, Atiku and Obi are contesting Tinubu’s victory in court because they claim the election was flawed.

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