Tinubu says he has no preferred candidates for the positions of senate president and speaker

PRESIDENT-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has revealed that he has no preferred candidate to assume the exalted offices of senate president and House of Representatives speaker as the horse trading ahead of the constitution of the 10th National Assembly begins.

With Asiwaju Bola Tinubu from the southwest elected as president and Senator Kashim Shettima from the northeast elected as vice president, the race for the senate president is open to candidates from all of the other four geo-political zones. Ranking senators from the northwest, south-south, southeast and north central geo-political zones are already positioning themselves for the coveted position, three months before elections are due.

Today, all the All Progressives Congress (APC) senators and members of the Federal House of Representatives, met with Senator Shettima in Abuja. According to Hon Abdulmalik Bungudu, the member-elect representing the Bungudu/Maru Federal Constituency of Zamfara State, the new executive has no candidates in mid to lead either houses of the National Assembly.

Hon Bungudu, said: “For now, Tinubu said he doesn’t have anybody that he prefers to have as senate president or speaker. However, consultations are going to continue to find the way out for the party and to also ensure the party emerges victorious in the forthcoming governorship and state houses of assembly elections."

Among those thought likely to throw their hats into the ring for the senate presidency are Senator Jubrin Barau of the Kano North Senatorial District, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia North Senatorial District and Senator Godswill Akpabio of the Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District. All three of them are raking senators but who gets elected will like be determined by which zones the office gets given.