PRINCIPAL officers of the 10th Senate emerged on Tuesday, June 4 as Opeyemi Bamidele and Simon Mwadkwon were named Senate leaders.
Bamidele, of the All Progressives Congress (APC) representing Ekiti Central, emerged Senate Majority Leader after a close-door meeting presided by Senate President Godswill Akpabío, while Mwadkwon, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Plateau North, was named Minority Leader.
In the same vein, Ali Ndume (APC, Borno South), was announced as Chief Whip of the Senate.
Akpabio said the principal officers emerged through consensus.
The Senate President also announced Dave Umahi (APC, Ebonyi South) as the Deputy Majority Leader and Lola Ashiru (APC, Kwara South) as the Deputy Whip.
Bamidele, born on July 29, 1963, is a lawyer and was a member of the 7th, 8th and 9th Senates.
Akpabio also announced the Minority Leader of the Senate.
“The Minority Caucus of the Senate is made up of about seven political parties and have come up with their leadership so I will proceed to announce [the names],” Akpabio said.
“Senator Simon Mwadkwon, Minority Leader; Oyewumi Olalere, Deputy Minority Leader; Darlington Nwokocha, Minority Whip; and Rufai Anga, Deputy Minority Whip,” Akpabio said.
He got 63 votes out of the 109 total ballots cast to defeat the former Zamfara state governor Abdulaziz Yari, who had 46 total votes.
APC has 59 seats in the 10th Senate; PDP 36, and Labour Party, 8.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Social Democratic Party have two members each, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Young Peoples Progressive Party (YPPP) have one member each.
A reporter with the ICIR
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