Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has declared that Nigerians will in the future appreciate the contributions of immediate past President Goodluck Jonathan to national development. In an interview with journalists after the Thanksgiving Service for Former President Goodluck Jonathan at Yenagoa on Saturday, Nyesom Wike said that Jonathan has worked hard to improve the standard of living in the country.

President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have declared their assets to the Code of Conduct Bureau as required by the Constitution but failed to make the contents public.

The head of Buhari’s media team, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Saturday, said the President and the Vice President submitted their assets declaration forms separately on Thursday.

Shehu added that the CCB, through its Chairman, Sam Saba, on Friday acknowledged the receipt of the forms.

He gave Buhari’s declaration identity number as “President: 000001/2015.”

Shehu, however, did not disclose the contents of the assets declaration forms.

“By declaring their assets, President Buhari and Vice President Osinbajo may have not only fulfilled the requirements of the Nigerian Constitution, but also fulfilled the first of their many campaign promises.

“While seeking election into the highest office in the land, the President had promised Nigerians that he would publicly declare his assets as soon as he took over government,” he wrote.

The Nigerian Constitution states in Chapter VI Section 140 that a person elected to the Office of the President shall not begin to perform the functions of that office until he has declared his assets and liabilities as prescribed in the Constitution.

Though the president’s aide believes the declaration was in fulfillment of Buhari’s campaign promises, analysts claim the President has not done anything spectacular because the contents were not made public.

In February this year, while campaigning Buhari had said that he would publicly declare his assets and liabilities, if voted into power.

Buhari stated this in a document. The document highlighted what Buhari would do in his first 100 days if he assumed power on May 29.

He said he would encourage political appointees in his administration to also declare their assets publicly.

Had the new president kept to his words he will be the country’s second president to publicly declare his assets.

Reacting to the news of the asset declaration by Buhari and Osinbajo to the Code of Conduct Bureau, the Peoples Democratic Party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Olisa Metuh, told SUNDAY PUNCH that the PDP was not ready to engage the All Progressives Congress-led government on asset declaration by the two most important persons in the country or any other issue.

Metuh said, “No comment for now. These are early days. At the moment, we wish them well.”

The late President, Alhaji Umaru Yar’Adua, also from Katsina State as Buhari, was the first and the only Nigeria’s President to have publicly declared his assets when he assumed office.

This action forced his then deputy, Jonathan, to also make his assets declaration forms available to the public.

However, since he assumed office as the substantive President, Jonathan had refused to make the forms available to the public, saying that he did that when he was serving as deputy to Yar’Adua.

But Buhari, in the document titled, ‘I pledge to Nigeria’ had also said that all his political appointees would only earn salaries and allowances as prescribed by the Revenue and Mobilisation and Fiscal Allocation Commission.

He said, “I pledge to publicly declare my assets and liabilities, encourage all my appointees publicly declare their assets and liabilities as a pre-condition for appointment. All political appointees will only earn the salaries and allowances determined by the RMFAC. I pledge, as Commander-in-Chief, to lead from the front and not behind in the comfort and security of Aso Rock, to boost the morale of fighting forces and the generality of all Nigerians.”

Meanwhile, about 48hours after they took their oaths of office, President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have yet to move into the Presidential Villa, Abuja, SUNDAY PUNCH has learnt.

Investigation by our correspondent on Saturday showed that the duo only attended the events held in the Villa on Friday and returned to town.

While Buhari was suspected to have returned to the Defence House, the official residence of the President-elect, which he started using shortly after he won the March 28 presidential election, Osinbajo might have returned to his private residence.

Immediately after they were inaugurated as President and Vice President at the Eagle Square on Friday, Buhari and Osinbajo moved to the Presidential Villa for a state luncheon organised in honour of world leaders who attended the inauguration.

They left and later returned in the evening for the inauguration gala night held inside the villa’s old Banquet Hall.

“The President and the Vice President have yet to move into the State House. I learnt that the President returned to Defence House on Friday,” a source said.

Chairman Silverbird Group and Bayelsa state senator-elect Mr. Ben Murray Bruce poke on issues relating to accountability and transparency in government. He said....

I have not criticised any government. I have not criticised APC. I have not criticised PDP. I have not criticised Goodluck Jonathan, neither have I criticised Muhammadu Buhari. I have raised good government issues and policy issues.

These are issues that I have raised all my life. Maybe these people on social media have just discovered Ben Bruce but, go and check the speeches I made two years ago, three years ago, twenty years ago, even in front of President Goodluck Jonathan to ascertain whether they are different from what I am saying now; maybe they just discovered me. Go on youtube and see my speeches.

The level of poverty and unemployment is devastating. We need to focus on laws that protect the poor. What is the biggest problem in Nigeria today? It is consumption versus production. Our leaders are guilty of consuming the resources of the majority. What do we have for the poor – the millions of people living on two dollars a day? And then you have governors in large convoys, commissioners driving N20m cars, flying first class in states that cannot pay salaries. The governors fly private jets. Commissioners live like kings. If three policemen guard a commissioner, how many policemen do we have in Nigeria? Less than 200,000. So who is policing the poor when they are being raped, maimed and killed, their goods stolen?

In Bayelsa, sea pirates steal from boats. They steal N200, N500, fishing nets; they attack people and rape their women. There is poverty and frustration everywhere in the land. And then people we voted into offices are living like lords. Does that make sense? Is it legal? Is it ethical? Is it moral? Can you justify that consumption behaviour because they voted you into office? In most states, the only employer of labour is government, the rest are jobless.

Some government officials will wake up one morning like monarchs and dash money to the people on the street because they see them as beggars. You turn your people to beggars and you get scared that they could kill you. Why won’t you live in fear? What if you consume less and distribute what you have to the rest of the people so that they can be happy and you can live in peace?

It is a class war between the rich and the poor. I have said it for 35 years and I am saying it again because it is worse today.  Boko Haram in the North, militancy in the South-South, kidnapping in the South-West and South East; raping, paedophile, maiming and stealing everywhere, what does that tell you? We have a problem in our hands and everybody must be held accountable.

President Buhari, who I like, is leading by example. He is a simple man and, because he is a simple man, I expect him to appoint people who will live simple lifestyle, people that will not consume the resources of the people. As lawmakers, we will checkmate their lifestyle. I will remind every minister and appointee of the need to live moderate life.

I am fighting against the corrupt elite. I am 59 and you only live once. The worst they can do to me is to take me out, so what? When the corrupt elite see me, let them know I am fighting them. When they drink that bottle of champagne that can educate a child, let them know I am fighting them. When they fly first class with tax payers money, let them know I am fighting them. Let them know that I am totally against their lifestyle because it is destroying the economy. We are broke, the elite deserve to be fought and they should be ashamed of themselves going by the way they live.

You go into government and fly first class but in your private life, you fly economy. You go into government, one man carries your phone, another opens the door of your car, another carries your bag, another reads the newspapers to you and you have ten policemen protecting you, what for? Were you born to the world as a king and everyone of us must worship you? They should apologise to Nigerians for looting the treasury and destroying the economy.

We don’t have distribution of wealth in Nigeria but the apportioning of wealth by the small minority and nothing else for the poor majority. There is no wealth distribution and that is why we don’t have the middle class. There are the poor and the champagne drinking super rich.

The Transition Monitoring Group on Thursday called on the incoming administration of Muhammadu Buhari to embark on “a total cleaning up and overhauling” of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and sack its present leader, Mr. Ibrahim Larmode. The TMG said Nigerians had lost confidence in the ability of the EFCC to prosecute the fight against corruption. According to the organisation, the agitation became necessary because the EFCC currently had little or no value in the reckoning of Nigerians. Several telephone calls to the spokesperson for the EFCC, Mr. Wilson Uwujaren, for response were not replied. The Chairman of TMG, Mr. Ibrahim Zikirullahi, made the position of the organisation known in Abuja, while presenting the findings of a survey the organisation conducted on governance and the expectations of Nigerians on Buhari’s administration. He said, “What we have here today as EFCC is more or less a political structure the government of the day determines the area to go. We want a new leadership in EFCC. “All we see is that the more the money that is given to the EFCC, the more corruption we see in Nigeria. So, as far as we are concerned, we are calling on the incoming administration to overhaul the EFCC. In fact from beginning to the end, there should be a serious cleaning of the EFCC. “We need people with sound mind, people that are intelligent, people that are courageous, people with the will, people that are ready to put their lives on the line to do the needful to make sure that Nigeria is rid of corruption. These are the people that can take Nigeria to the promise land, because any system that encourages corruption is doomed. “The EFCC must be put in the first line charge, so that the issue of money will not be a problem in tackling corruption in this country. But those that we are putting there must also be examined to know that they are not corrupt.” Zikirullahi said the governance survey focused on broad-based citizens’ expectations in relation to the thematic issues that the incoming administration should focus on. He added that despite the high expectations of Nigerians, they know that the incoming government could not solve all the problems confronting the system in one fell swoop. Zikirullahi said the survey was based on dominant opinions expressed by 774 LGAs supervisors concerning the most discussed issues in their localities. The data generated from respondents, he said, showed that the dominant thematic areas were unemployment, corruption, electricity, security, and education in that order. The TMG also called on the incoming administration to open up alliances with credible civil society organisations to foster the participation of the ordinary Nigerian in the entire gamut of governance. “From tomorrow (today), Nigerians will be moving into a future filled with so many promises, and they hope to see those promises becoming real in their daily lives. At TMG therefore, we are not under any illusion that the road will be easy. It will be tough, but we call on all Nigerians, irrespective of tribe and tongue, to get set to be a part of the journey towards a great and new Nigeria,” Zikirullahi stressed.

The Federal Road Safety Corps has called on motorists in the country to be safety conscious in the interest of children, who usually suffer the most. The Unit Commander, FRSC, Ota Unit Command, Matthew Olonisaye, stressed the importance of the Child Safety Education in school curriculum to ensure adequate education of children against attacks. Olonisaye made the remarks on Wednesday during the annual Children’s Day celebration in Ogun State. The FRSC boss, who addressed teachers and students from selected schools in the state, urged motorists to drive carefully and parents to be vigilant. He said, “It is true that the young ones are more vulnerable to attacks and incessant crashes on our roads which are usually caused by a multiplicity of factors, in which human errors take the lead. “In view of the foregoing, parents and guardians are charged with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of their wards, while drivers must drive carefully being mindful of other road users to save lives, time and property.” Olonisaye said parents and guardians should be mindful of the domestic staff they employ to look after their wards, adding that private drivers should particularly be properly educated. He advised children to also be safety-conscious and raised the alarm whenever their security is compromised. He said, “Parents and guardians should consistently educate their drivers to be wary of security agents on routine checks and ensure they are not being trailed to and from school, church or any other place. Children, on their part, should be watchful and vigilant while on transit. “Continuous study of drivers, cooks and house helps is also advised. This is because most recent kidnappings involving children have been traced to the domestic staff. Parents should ensure proper reference by a reputable guarantor, before employment. “Discipline of child or ward on some moral behaviour — choosing the right friends, and guide against any form of social vices — are equally important. Notwithstanding, parents should always communicate with their children and respond to their needs to ensure contentment.”

There was confusion at Wadata House, the National Headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party on Thursday in Abuja, as angry police officers, led by one Sergeant Reuben Onu and a staff of the party, physically assaulted workers of Twinkles World Limited who were protesting against unpaid debts estimated at N360m. The company handled the contract for the decoration of the PDP presidential campaigns in all states of the federation in the last general elections. During the protest, the Managing Director of the company, Mr. Tunde Agarawu, and Project Coordinator, Mr. Awonaiya Olayemi, were physically assaulted. While the managing director was slapped by Onu and an unidentified employee of the PDP, Olayemi was pelted with sands on his head by same officers. The police team later reinforced, coming with many other police officers to scare away the protesting workers numbering over 30. But a police officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the MD was assaulted because he did not heed the advice to channel their grievances to Legacy House, the office of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization. The firm reiterated its decision to drag President Goodluck Jonathan and the party to court over the unpaid debts. Already, their lawyer had issued a seven-day ultimatum to PDPPCO to offset the debt or face an action in court. The protesters carried placards with inscriptions like, “PDPPCO is owing us for the service we provided them”, “Prof. Jerry Gana, pay us our money now!”, “Dr. Ahmadu Alli, DG of PDPPCO, pay our money now”, “Mr. President, Prof. Jerry Gana is yet to pay Twinkle World Limited,” and “Nigerians: PDP is owing Twinkle World.” Agarawu said since Jonathan lost the presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari, he and the PDP hierarchy had failed to pay most debts incurred for the campaigns. He alleged that a former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, and other members of the PDPPCO deliberately withheld their money, even though a directive has been given by the immediate-past chairman of the party, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu, that the debts should be cleared. In an interview with journalists at the PDP secretariat, Agarawu said there was no going back in the pursuit of the management to get the money. He said, “It is a battle of no retreat, no surrender.” According to him, the complaints have reached President Goodluck Jonathan. He said the President was shocked that the money has not been paid, despite the overwhelming evidence that it has been released to the PDPPCO. “President Goodluck Jonathan is not happy. We have been told that the man is embarrassed because he also gave money to the PDPPCO and yet he is hearing these stories about debts running into billions of naira. The President told somebody close to us that he is not owing us because he was just a presidential candidate of the PDP and that if there is anybody owing us, it is the PDPPCO”, Agarawu said. While several efforts made to get Gana for response were not successful, calls and text messages to his Personal Assistant, Mr. James Agbo, over the same matter were not replied. The PUNCH recalled that Agarawu said no mobilisation fund was given to them before the commencement of the project, adding that banks and corporate bodies where they sourced loans to execute the project were already demanding for the payment of their funds. He had said, “We are constrained to make this urgent request to the leadership of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization and Prof. Jerry Gana with a view to pleading for prompt intervention for the payment of the nationwide venue beautification and publicity with inflatable for the Presidential campaign. “We have resorted to taking this last step after exhausting every strenuous potential avenue of getting the matter resolved to no avail. At the moment, we believe strongly that only your personal, compassionate, humane, fair and just nature could help save this embarrassing situation that is capable of tarnishing and eroding further the good name and image of all concerned. “The fact of the case was that on January 7, 2015, Twinkle World Limited was contracted to execute a nationwide presidential campaign venue beautification project in all of the 36 states of the federation. We are also expected to provide the awareness and publicity venue support services throughout the PDP nationwide presidential campaign from January 8 to February 6, 2015.”

Outgoing Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday took a critical assessment of his administration in the last four years and returned a verdict that he had done his best for the country. He said his administration had impacted positively on key aspects of national life for the benefit of the citizens. Jonathan said this in his remarks shortly before presenting his handover notes to the incoming President, Muhammadu Buhari, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The event, which was held inside the Council Chambers and witnessed by the All Progressives Congress’ chiefs, took place shortly after Jonathan conducted Buhari round the seat of power. Vice President Namadi Sambo had also similarly conducted the Vice President-elect, Yemi Osinbajo, round his wing of the villa. Jonathan presented an executive summary of his handover notes and a copy of the report of the National Conference to Buhari. He expressed the hope that the notes would give the incoming administration an idea of his administration’s mission statement and the commitment of his government for the past five years. He however said the report of the National Conference was more important to him than the handover notes because it was compiled by Nigerians. He said if the report was implemented, most of the grey areas of national development would be resolved. Jonathan said, “There is another document that I will hand over to you. To me, this is more important than the handover notes. The handover notes are the activities of an administration, they show where we started, where we are going; in some of the cases you will follow, in other cases you may take other angle. “But this is a document that was compiled by Nigerians, the report of the National Conference 2014. We gathered almost 500 Nigerians from all walks of life, they were not influenced by government in any way. “Most of the recommendations here, if they are followed, most of the grey areas even in our politics will be smoothened out. “Most of the areas where people complain bitterly: corruption and others, this document deals with them. Some people here were members of that great body of about 500 eggheads. “We were unable to implement the report because of the shortness of time. We have sent a copy to the National Assembly but it is a document that we are very hopeful your government will look into and give it the attention it requires.” In assessing his administration’s performance, Jonathan said he had impacted positively on national life. While admitting that challenges still abound, he expressed the conviction that they were surmountable. He said as he handed over the reins of government, he believed that the nation is secure with its democracy stable and a bright future. He added, “Our administration has done its best to intervene robustly and impact positively on key aspects of our national life. “There is no doubt that challenges still abound, but they are surmountable and overwhelming national transformation remains realisable with continuity, commitment and consistency. “Nigeria is blessed with citizens that will always remain faithful, firmly committed to national unity, accelerated political, social and economic development. “As we hand over the reins of government, I believe that our nation is secure, our democracy is stable and the future is bright. “Let us work together and with greater resolve, continue to build a stronger and more prosperous nation.” He had earlier listed his administration’s achievements to include the success recorded against Boko Haram lately, the eradication of the Ebola Virus Disease, improved revenue mobilisation, agriculture, power sector privatisation, massive road construction, railways and aviation, anti-corruption fight, education, sports and foreign policy. Jonathan recalled that the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System introduced by his administration had succeeded in weeding out 60,450 ghost workers in 359 out of 425 Ministries, Departments and Agencies. He said the exercise had yielded N185.4bn in savings to the Federal Government. Buhari, in his short remarks, said he would not be able to make any strong statement until after reading and digesting the handover notes. He however commended Jonathan for conceding defeat in the March 28 presidential election, saying his decision changed the course of Nigeria’s political history. He said the President could have made things difficult if he had wanted to do so. He expressed delight that rather than taking any action that would be at the expense of the lives of Nigerians, Jonathan took the path of honour. Buhari said, “What I will say is that since the telephone call you made (to me), you have changed the course of Nigeria’s political history. “For that, you have earned yourself a place in our history, for stabilising this system of multi-party democracy system and you have earned the respect of not only Nigerians but world leaders. “All the leaders that spoke to me and congratulated us for arriving at the point we arrived, mentioned this and I could understand a lot of relief in their voices that Nigeria has made it after all and this is largely owed to a situation. “If you had attempted to make things difficult, you could have made things difficult and that would have been at the expense of the lives of poor Nigerians; but you chose the path of honour and may God help all of us. Thank you very much, Your Excellency.”

The All Progressives Congress APC, has released this new portrait of the president-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and his vice president Prof. Yemi Osinbajo. They first released another portrait but it seems people did not like those ones so they got new ones.

See the first released portrait below...

Which one do you prefer between this two?

The Federal Government on Sunday night released details of how N6.21tn was shared from the Excess Crude Account by the federal and state governments between 2011 and 2014.

The breakdown was released by the Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, through a statement by her Special Adviser on Communications, Mr. Paul Nwabuikwu.

The minister had last week promised to make details of the account available following a demand by the state governors under the Nigeria Governors’ Forum that she should explain how she had managed the over $20bn in the ECA between June 2013 and April 2015.

However, in the document issued on Sunday, the minister said she needed to make public the details “to clarify issues thrown up by recent claims made by Governor Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State on behalf of some governors.”

Analyses of the allocation as revealed by the document showed that in addition to their constitutionally approved receipts from the Federation Account, the Federal Government received the sum of N3.29tn, while the 36 states got a total of N2.92tn from the ECA within the four-year period

A further breakdown of the ECA disbursement showed that the 36 states received N966.6bn in 2011; N816.3bn in 2012; N859.4bn in 2013 and N282.8bn in 2014.

The document attributed the low figure shared in 2014 to a steep decline in revenues due to the impact of the crash in global oil prices, which began in the middle of that year.

Akwa Ibom, with N265bn, got the highest allocation from the ECA; while Rivers and Delta states followed with N230.4bn and N216.7bn, respectively.

Other states with highest allocations, according to the document, are Bayelsa, N176.3bn; Kano, N106.5bn; and Lagos, N82.9bn.

On the other hand, Kwara (N52.8bn), Enugu (N51.6bn), Gombe (N47.7bn), Nasarawa (N46.9bn), Ekiti (N46.8bn) and Ebonyi (N44.3bn) received the least amounts.

The summary of the inflows and outflows from the account indicated that the opening balance was $4.56bn in 2011 and reached a peak the following year at $8.7bn before declining to $2.3bn in 2013.

The document put the balance as of May 2015 at $2.07bn, noting that “the fluctuation in the ECA reflects the sharing of the proceeds usually requested by state governors as well as the practice of augmentation.”

It said the augmentation involved additional sharing from the ECA by both tiers of government when available funds were not adequate to meet revenue projections.

Okonjo-Iweala had last week described the governors’ demand as strange because issues relating to the management of the ECA were usually discussed by the commissioners of Finance of the 36 states of the federation during the monthly Federation Accounts Allocation Committee meeting.

She had said since the commissioners were representatives of their respective governors at the meeting, there was no basis for the demand.

Okonjo-Iweala’s statement read in part, “It has come to our attention that governors under the aegis of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum have requested that the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance should account for an estimated $20bn oil revenue from the Excess Crude Account from June 2013 to April 2015.

“There is no basis for the demand and the stated amount. The statement by the governors is totally strange because FAAC meets every month and the ECA is discussed at every session, with all the state commissioners of Finance present.”

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo fired a fresh salvo the way of President Goodluck Jonathan, on Sunday, when he looked back at the last eight years and returned with a verdict: The country had been poorly managed under Jonathan.

Obasanjo said this when the Iyalode of Yoruba land, Chief Alaba Lawson, led a delegation of South-West women leaders on a visit to his Hilltop residence in Abeokuta.

The 78-year-old leader said owing to the mismanagement of the country in the last eight years, the incoming administration of the President-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, should be prepared to face the daunting challenges that lay ahead.

He said, “The country had been poorly managed in the last eight years and it would take some time for Buhari’s government to correct the anomalies. But I want to tell him not to be frightened.”

Calling on Nigerians to exercise patience with the incoming administration, Obasanjo said the damage that had been done to the country in the last eight years could not be corrected overnight.

“What I would say is that we should all put our minds at rest. He (Buhari) is someone that will perform but we must exercise patience because what has been destroyed for eight years cannot be undone overnight.

“But like the Chinese proverb which says the journey of a thousand miles starts with a step, it is not only the first step (that matters) but the first step in the right direction because if you take a wrong step, you’re not likely to get to the destination,” he said.

The Owu-born leader recalled that when he assumed power as civilian president in 1999, the country was in the same situation it is today – battling fuel crisis and lack of power supply.

“When I came in 1999, there was no fuel and power. The situation was like this and I thought we have put that one behind us,” he stressed, even as he expressed confidence in the ability of Buhari to surmount the hurdle.

“The man that is coming on board has a lot of experience in terms of governance. He is not a novice in governance having ruled the country as a military Head of State from 1983 to 1985.

“Nigerians need to exercise patience because what has been destroyed in eight years cannot be rebuilt in a day,” Obasanjo maintained.

Recalling his years as military Head of State between 1976 and 1979, Obasanjo said he worked closely with Buhari and that their association produced results.

Urging Nigerians to pray for Buhari, Obasanjo said the president-elect needs the cooperation of Nigerians in order to put the country on the right footing.

“Let’s give him time. Let’s pray for him and let’s cooperate with him. We are all concerned about the present situation of Nigeria. The expectation is very high but at the same time, there is a lot of goodwill internally and externally for the incoming government.

“Once the incoming administration realises this and takes every step, particularly in the first three months when people will be watching and counting, I think for me, we will get there,” the former Peoples Democratic Party leader said.

The former Chairman, PDP Board of Trustees, however, warned Buhari not to take Nigerians for granted as he called on him to always be honest in his dealing with Nigerians.

Obasanjo added that with Buhari at the helm of affairs, Nigeria would have a new opportunity.

He said, “God has provided a new opportunity for Nigeria and Nigerians and I believe God does not make mistakes. There are two things I believe the incoming President appreciates; one is that he knows that the expectations of Nigerians are high and two, that he should not be frightened by the situation on the ground.”

Also, Obasanjo urged the incoming administration against squandering its goodwill at home and abroad.

Decrying the agony inflicted upon Nigerians by the scarcity of fuel across the country, Lawson advised Obasanjo to continue to support the Buhari government in advisory capacity.

She said, “We are aware that you also took over the reins of power of this country at a critical time and with the help of the Almighty God, you were able to bring us back from the brink. The same goes for now.

“We, therefore, appeal to you not to leave this incoming government. Though we are confident of the time-proven abilities of our incoming President, Muhammadu Buhari, we also believe that two heads are better than one and where there is a gathering of wise ones, wisdom will issue forth from there.”

An attempt by the leadership of the All Progressives Congress to elect a consensus candidate for the leadership of the Senate at a retreat organised for Senators-elect in Abuja was frustrated on Saturday as two factions emerged from the camp, endorsing two separate candidates.

The party leadership had planned to conduct a primary election for the 59 senators elected on the ticket of the party in order to produce a consensus candidate that would emerge as the next Senate President during the inauguration of the eighth National Assembly in June.

However, few hours into the retreat, a group, which identified itself as Senate Unity Forum, walked out of the event and addressed a news conference where they declared that they had resolved to support the joint ticket of Senators Ahmad Lawan and George Akume for the Senate top posts.

They circulated a resolution signed by Lawan (Yobe North), Akume (Benue North West) and the group’s spokesperson, Senator Barnabas Gemade, (Benue North East) wherein the senators-elect explained that their decision was in the best interest of the party and Nigeria.

The group, which did not disclose its membership strength said, “We, the Senate Unity Forum comprising senators-elect from various states and various zones of Nigeria, have met, held extensive discussions and resolved to support Senator Ahmad Lawan as Senate President and Senator George Akume, as the Deputy Senate President of the eighth Senate.”

But some hours later, no fewer than 24 senators-elect, under the aegis of, “The Like-minds,”   filed out of the retreat and announced that 35 members of the group had adopted Saraki (Kwara Central) as their next Senate President.

They also said each of the 35 members of the group, had signed a document which indicated their commitment to Saraki and had followed it up by jointly signing a letter, which they would present to the National Chairman of the party, Mr. John Odigie-Oyegun.

The Senators, in their resolution, read by Dino Melaye (Kogi West) noted: “Senators of ‘The Like-minds’ are here today at the retreat organised by our dear party, All Progressive Congress, which is meant to equip and empower senators-elect of the eighth Assembly to prepare them for the challenges ahead.

“We commend the leadership of our party for this timely and well-focused exercise. The issue of National Assembly leadership is about integrity, competence, discipline and leadership skills and not about fixing of candidates just for mere horse-trading.

“Our stand is about electing a senator who eventually becomes the chairman of National Assembly and relates with the executive on behalf of Nigerians, fellow senators and the National Assembly as an institution.

“Furthermore, the leadership of National Assembly is about the senator that has the wherewithal to stabilise the legislative institution, working with the executive and judicial arm of government to be effective and perform to their optimal capacity.

“In addition, we are aware of the fact that all senators from the North Central zone have taken a firm position that they are only interested in the office of the Senate President which has been earlier zoned by the National Working Committee of our party to the zone.

“We are also aware that North Central senators have resolved to abide by the resolution of the zone on a single candidate and anything short of this is an attempt to jeopardise the collective interest of the zone.

“Of the 59 senators of the APC, 35 of us present here today hereby reaffirm our collective commitment and resolution to ensure that the candidature of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki as the Senate President of eighth Assembly.

“We have also resolved that the office of the Deputy Senate President be zoned to the North East.”

Our correspondent observed that the South-West APC senators-elect, except Tayo Alasoadura, were conspicuously absent at the briefing, while members of the Like-minds senators who were present, cut across the North-Central, North-West, and the North-East geopolitical zones.

The latest development has therefore pruned down the numbers of aspirants contesting the senate presidency from four to two because while Akume had accepted to be Lawan’s deputy, Ali Ndume (Borno South), was among the senators that endorsed Saraki on Saturday.