Following reports in some quarters that former Governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume, could emerge the next Senate President, his residence in Abuja has become a Mecca of some sort.

THISDAY checks revealed that the hitherto serene Maitama, Abuja,  residence of two-term governor, who is returning to the Senate for a third time, was yesterday, a beehive of activities.

Investigation revealed that serving senators, senators-elect, governors and top party leaders took their turns to pay homage to Akume, who is highly favoured by the party leadership to clinch the Senate presidency, under the zoning template of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Notable early callers yesterday were Benue State Governor and Akume’s successor, Gabriel Suswam, senators representing Ekiti State, Olubunmi Adetunbi and Tony Adeniyi, as well as Senator Sulaiman Mazi from Bauchi State.

There were also APC big-wigs including the party’s legal adviser, James Ocholi (SAN), senior member of the Buhari/Osinbajo Campaign Organisation, Mustapha Boss and former military governor of Katsina State, Maj-Gen Lawrence Onoja.

The APC leadership had last week proposed a formula for the zoning of leadership positions in the soon-to-be inaugurated Senate which is to zone the Senate presidency to the North-central geopolitical zone.

This immediately threw up ranking senators like Akume, former Kwara State Governor, Bukola Saraki his former Nasarawa State counterpart, Adamu Abdullahi and former Works Minister and erstwhile National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barnabas Gemade as potential contenders.

While Akume and Saraki are evidently ahead of the pack, the body language of the APC leadership and private sentiments expressed by many returning senators, is swaying in favour of Akume.

Akume who is returning to the Senate for the third term, was Minority Leader of the seventh session of the upper legislature, a position he held with uncommon maturity and comportment.

He is credited with facilitating the enthronement of the APC brand in the North-central zone, having painstakingly stayed the course through the gradual evolution of the party from the Action Congress (AC), through the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), on to the eventual emergence of the APC.

Meanwhile, as the APC leaders bicker over the zoning of principal officers in the in-coming administration, the Arewa Youth Parliament (AYP), has thrown its weight behind Akume as the next Senate President of the eighth National Assembly.

The group, which is an umbrella body of all northern youth organisation, said it decided to wade into the search for suitable persons to head the affairs in the next National Assembly, being a key stakeholder under the present dispensation.

It said Akume had won the hearts of most lawmakers following his role as the Minority Leader in the seventh assembly, where he distinguished himself as a rallying point of the opposition.

According to the northern youths, it has become a democratic norm in advanced democracies that whenever a minority party becomes the majority party, minority leader automatically become the leader of the parliament in question. 

Addressing a press conference yesterday in Abuja, Speaker, Arewa Youth Parliament, Hon. Bashir M. Maru, said his group was duty bound at all times to promote excellence, equity and equality in the affairs of Nigeria.

The northern youths believed that Akume could truly be described as a genuine breed of the Sir Ahmadu Bello school of thought, having always put the interest of his people, region and country above any other consideration.

“Following extensive deliberation, we have decided to throw our weight behind Senator Akume to emerge as the next Senate President of the eighth National Assembly. This is premised on the need for Democratic consolidation, fair play, justice and equity.”
“Akume, a third-term senator, has distinguished himself as a pan-Arewa, detribalised Nigerian and excellent performer in all his previous outings.

“We truly believe there will be no confusion in deciding who the caps fits to lead the eighth National Assembly if experience, performance, balance should be the criteria for the selection. Senator Akume is best suitable Nigerian senator to lead the senate to the promise land,” he said.