Senators of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said the All Progressive Congress (APC) has no power to decide who becomes the President of the ninth Senate.
The PDP lawmakers were reacting to the endorsement of Senator Ahmed Lawan by the APC wherein the ruling party picked him as its preferred candidate for the exalted office.
The opposition party lawmakers also advised that the current Senate President, Bukola Saraki, be left out of insinuations in some quarters that the top lawmaker was plotting to influence the emergence of his successor.
Mr Saraki lost his re-election bid to return to the red chamber and will not be part of the ninth Senate.
In a statement signed by Senators Biodun Olujimi and Dino Melaye, the PDP lawmakers said every member of the red chamber can aspire to be the next leader of the upper legislative chamber.
“Let it be known that no matter the mischief being sponsored by these spineless people, Dr Saraki knows that it is the duty of all senators in the ninth Senate to elect their Senate President and other leaders,” the statement read.
“Nobody from outside the Senate has such powers. It is also the right of every senator to aspire to that position as stated by the constitution.
“He has benefited from this practice of senators within the chambers exercising the right. He is conscious of this fact and will not be a party to any plan to seize or interfere with the process of evolving the leadership of the ninth Senate.
“We, therefore, urge the APC gladiators and their handlers to leave Saraki out of their schemes and manipulations.
“They should go and concentrate on how to convince the senators-elect and ensure that the election of the next Senate President takes place in a conducive atmosphere with a view to strengthening the institution and making it perform its constitutional roles, without any hindrance,” the PDP caucus said.
