Saraki winning over Lawan’s group?

In from Enite Benjamin…

Nothing better captures the actions of some Senators right now than the phrase ‘Foes by day, Friends by night’, as they vehemently oppose the emergence of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki among their peers during the day, but privately seek him out afterwards to pay allegiance and assure him of their support.

It would be recalled that since the emergence of Saraki as leader of the federal legislature, his party, the APC has been split into factions, while in the Senate, a group of senators under the umbrella of Senate Unity Forum led by Senator Ahmed Lawan has continued to insist that his emergence did not follow the laid down rules.

The group had also petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase claiming that the Senate Rules on election of its principal officers, had been altered to ensure Saraki and his deputy, Ike Ekweremadu both emerged as leaders of the Senate.

However, Ripples gathered from authoritative sources within the circle of senators that a number of those posing as opposition to Saraki, and calling for the supremacy of the party to be upheld, actually visit Saraki in his residence in the cover of night to pledge their allegiance to him, assuring him of their support, despite their grandstanding on the issue.

Among those who oppose him within APC, but have embarked on such visits is a Senator from Osun State and another from Nassarawa State (names withheld) both of the group of senators who have insisted openly that the party’s supremacy must prevail.

Also, another APC senator from Lagos State, who is set to celebrate his 60th birthday anniversary soon, also approached the Senate President to pledge his support, and asked Saraki to make an entry in his planned Book of Tributes to be unveiled at the birthday ceremony.

Ripples further gathered, that the covert moves by the senators may not be unconnected to plans to ensure that they do not lose out in being part of juicy committees when the Senate reconvenes.

Read also: Saraki consolidates position

The strategy is to ensure that they remain in the good books of the party’s leaders, by being seen to be in support of the party on the issue, but at the same time, also safeguard a position among the Saraki group, to land in a good committee.

With this, it seems the ruckus surrounding Saraki’s emergence as Senate President may be slowing dying a natural death, as the opposition actors may have accepted their fate, and are slowly waning, and falling to his side of the divide.

It would be recalled that at the twilight of his emergence as Senate President, which shook the party’s leadership, Saraki had received the blessings of 25 states chairmen of his party, when they paid him a courtesy visit in his office in Abuja.

Their visit seemed to add to the support Saraki was gathering then as President of the Senate.

The chairmen were led by the Chairman of the Kano State chapter of the party, Alhaji Haruna Doguwa.

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