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10th Senate: Sani Musa Will Be The Dark Horse, Says Associates
By Sunday Isuwa, Abuja
Following the declaration of interest of the Niger East Senator Mohammed Sani Musa to contest for the office of the Senate President in the 10th Assembly, newly elected lawmakers and associates have declared that he will be the dark horse if the position is zoned to the North Central.
Some of the newly elected lawmakers who collected their certificate of return on Wednesday declared that Sani Musa has paid his dues.
It was gathered that Senators from the North Central Zone are also insisting that Sani Musa, who will protect the interest of the zone and that of the Nigerian people, is supported to be the next Senate President.
The associates of the Senator and his colleagues who spoke to our reporter on condition of anonymity said the Niger East Lawmaker has gathered the needed experience to lead.
One of the sources, a former member of the House of Representatives, explained that the senator, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Senate Services, would declare his ambition whenever the All Progressives Congress (APC) zones the various presiding and principal offices.
He expressed the hope that the APC would zone the Senate Presidency to the North Central geopolitical zone.
Another source also disclosed that the National Chairman of the party, Senator Adamu Abdullahi, will not work against zoning the Senate Presidency to the North Central zone.
He said Abdullahi would not also mind to do anything that will promote the emergence of a President of the Senate from the North Central geo- political zone and by extension paving the way for Musa’s emergence.
He said, “Once the office is zoned to North Central Senator Musa will run for the office of the Senate President. We hope and pray that the All Progressives Congress would zone the office to the North Central zone because the zone has proven to be an APC stronghold, especially Niger State that gave the highest votes in the zone.”
He said, “Senator Abdullahi Adamu will be interested in the emergence of Sani Musa as the next Senate President and he would not mind sacrificing his appointment to make that happen.”
On possible clash of Musa’s ambition with that of the incumbent Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, being his friend and leader, the source said, “Lawan and Musa are from different zones hence no clash of interest if the party comes out with a zoning formula.”
He said, “As we speak, I do not think Senator Lawan is going to contest the office of the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly.”
Asked what would happen if the party failed to zone the office to the North Central zone, the source said, “Senator Musa would contest for the position of the Deputy Senate President if zoned.
“He is already talking to his colleagues and close associates about his ambition,” the source added.
Musa has joined other contestants like Senators Orji Uzor Kalu, Godswill Akpabio, Barau Jibrin, Abdulaziz Yari, David Umahi and Adams Oshiomhole, who are all said to be eyeing the top position.
Musa, is unarguably the most popular senator in the 9th Assembly because of the importance of his committee to his colleagues, majority of whom he interacts with, virtually on a daily basis.
He is popularly known as 313 among his colleagues, narrowly missing being the National Chairman of the APC before President Buhari and other leaders of the party appealed to the aspirants to step down for Senator Adamu Abdullahi.
Investigations by our correspondent revealed that Musa was the favoured candidate of Asiwaju Tinubu for the APC National Chairmanship then.
The fact that the Niger East senator supported the Senate President during the race for the Party’s presidential ticket did not taint the relationship between him and Tinubu.
Those who are very close to Musa argued that the billionaire entrepreneur played significant roles in the eventual emergence of the ‘Jagaban Borgu’ as president-elect.
Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on New Media and Public Communications to Nyesom Wike, the former Governor of Rivers State and current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), has responded to the recent appointment of Bashir Ojulari as the new Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.).
Olayinka took to X (formerly Twitter) to address discussions surrounding this leadership transition. His post aimed to clarify that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu did not dismiss Mele Kyari, a northerner, to replace him with a southerner, as some speculated. Instead, Olayinka pointed out that Ojulari, like Kyari, hails from the northern region of Nigeria.
According to Olayinka’s post on his official X account, he emphasised that Bashir Ojulari is from Kwara State, located in North Central Nigeria. Additionally, the new Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, originates from Borno State in the North East.
His post stated: “Bashir Ojulari, the new NNPCL CEO, is a northerner from Kwara State, North Central Nigeria. The new Board Chairman, Ahmadu Musa Kida, is also a northerner, from Borno State, North East Nigeria.”
Olayinka’s statement came in response to narratives suggesting that the appointment was politically motivated to favour one region over another.
By Israel Bulus, Kaduna
The Middle Belt Forum (MBF) has strongly condemned the extrajudicial killing of 16 travelers in Uromi, Edo State, while warning against retaliatory violence targeting Southerners in Northern Nigeria.
In a press statement released on Tuesday, MBF Spokesman Luka Binniyat denounced inflammatory threats from individuals claiming to represent Northern interests in response to the killings.
Recalled that the victims, were allegedly armed hunters, traveling from Port Harcourt to Kano when they were attacked by a mob that accused them of being kidnappers.
“The MBF strongly condemns the unlawful killing of any Nigerian citizen, including those who lost their lives in Uromi,” the statement read. “However, we categorically reject any attempt to use this tragic incident as a pretext to unleash violence against Southerners residing in Northern Nigeria.”
The forum assured that the Middle Belt would not become a battleground for reprisals, emphasizing that it remains a safe haven for all law-abiding Nigerians. It urged community leaders and youths to remain vigilant and prevent any attempts to instigate violence, calling for anyone with such intentions to be handed over to authorities.
The MBF also reaffirmed its commitment to justice for all victims of violence across Nigeria. The statement highlighted the ongoing security challenges facing Middle Belt communities, citing persistent attacks by armed herdsmen with little government intervention.
” We hope that the swift response to the Uromi killings would serve as a precedent for broader action against criminal elements terrorizing the region.
“Thousands of our people remain in captivity, and vast portions of our land are still under the control of violent outlaws—primarily Fulani militants,” the statement noted.
“Justice must be served across the board.”
The MBF concluded by reiterating its support for the ongoing investigation into the Uromi incident and calling for a fair and decisive crackdown on all forms of criminality across the country.
BY ANKELI EMMANUEL, Sokoto
The Deputy Speaker, Sokoto State House of Assembly, Kabir Ibrahim kware, has commended governor Ahmed Aliyu for executing numerous developmental projects without taking loan from any financial institution.
Ibrahim Kware whp gave the commendation when he led other members of the State Assembly on Sallah homage to governor Aliyu, added that, the governor is very prudent in managing resources to achieve results.
“There was never a time you approached us with a request for permission to borrow money from any financial institutions whether at home or abroad,”he affirmed.
This , according to him, is worthy of commendation considering the myriad people- oriented projects the governor is executing across the state.
Speaking on behalf of the State’s Judiciary, Sokoto State Chief Judge, Justice Muhammad Sa’idu Sifawa, commended the governor for the construction of additional Court rooms at the State High Court.
Justice Sifawa also expressed delight over the way and manner the governor responds to issues affecting the Judiciary, which he said, is a clear testimony of the good working relationship existing between the three arms of government in the state.
Responding to the commendations, governor Ahmed Aliyu appealed for more synergy among the three tiers of government in the overall development of the state.
A statement by Abubakar Bawa, the Press Secretary to governor Alhmed Aliyu reaffirmed his principal’s unwavering commitment of the executive arm to providing the direly needed dividends of democracy to the people of the state,in line with his campaign promises.
The governor also urged lawmakers to present all the needs of their constituencies for prompt and diligent implementation.
“”I want to assure you that my doors are always open for you at any given time, to listen to the demands of your people.”
He reminded them on the need to put politics aside and work together with the executive arm for the progress and even development of the people they represent.
Turning to the members of the State Judiciary, the governor appealed to Judges and Khadis to ensure the quick dispensation of justice, so as to decongest the correctional centres.
“It is worrisome to see how inmates are languishing in correctional centres for minor offences in the name of awaiting trial.
“We recently appointed seven additional Judges and 7 Khadis, which is the first in the history of Sokoto State.
“The idea is to enhance the manpower in our Judiciary so as to speed up the dispensation of justice,” he added.
The governor further assured the members of the Judiciary of his administration’s readiness to ensure their welfare at all times.