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Senate Presidency: Why It Should Be Free For All
By Anthony Ada Abraham
Since the declaration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as Nigeria’s President-elect by the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Senate leadership tussle has continued to generate ripples from various quarters.
While many believed that it is time for a Christain to head the green chamber, others feel religion should be expunged from Nigeria’s polity completely and should not have any bearing on who emerges as president of the Senate.
If Nigerians and the political class want to be sincere with themselves, with 26.5 per cent, the North-west had the highest proportion of votes cast in the presidential election. This was followed by North-central with 17.2 per cent; South-west with 16.3 per cent; North-east with 13.2 per cent; South-south with 11 per cent; and South-east with 8.7 per cent.
For a start, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu got more votes from the North-west — the largest voting geo-political grouping in the country — than from the South-west (his home zone) or the South East.
In terms of volume, the North-west had the highest number of votes with about 6.6 million votes, followed by the North-central with above 4.5 million votes.
If the South East could only garner 8.7 per cent of the result as their contribution to the emergence of the president-elect, and someone who didn’t believe in Christian-Muslim ticket is now seeking to be the president of the Senate using same claim against the zone that gave the president-elect about 30 per cent, which is having the outgoing president as the slot they have for for the party, having lost Kano and Zamfara states, with Kebbi as inconclusive, meaning the North west is vulnerable to the APC, which is the stronghold of the party.
It is important to inform APC to be careful in how it goes about its dealings. 2023 has come and gone but do not loose your strong holds out of sentiment for someone whose region gave a mere 8.7 per cent against those who produced 30 per cent when you know you would still seek for votes from same people come 2027.
We have three arms of government, the Executive, Judiciary and the Legislature. We’ve known who the President of the country is, and we’ve known who the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) is ,(Head of Judiciary). The head of the Legislature is the president of the Senate who also serve as the chairman of the National Assembly.
If the APC in its wisdom zones it to the South East, they are only clever by half, abandoning the zone that gave them the highest votes , feeling they are just when it suits them— by saying they want to zone the Senate Presidency to the South East. When they were doing the Muslim-Muslims ticket, they weren’t just–to follow the practical norms which is the Muslim -Christain ticket.
They went ahead with the Muslim-Muslim ticket , therefore it would be unjust , whether the APC as a party or the president elect to determine which zone would have the Senate Presidency, knowing fully well they were all elected , therefore they should allow the legislature to be free for all.
Listening to the Vice-Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the north-west, Salihu Lukman, saying any Muslim aspiring to be senate president does not respect the constitution and the party, it shows that many people are unpatriotic and forget easily that the yet to be sworn in president who they all supported came on board and neglected same constitution to be president and vice president.
We should be sincere when we want to judge and not for our own personal aggrandizement. We should allow freedom of participation and not box people because we feel we can prove a point.
Anybody can contest to for the next Senate President because there’s no moral justification for zoning at the moment.
The implication of APC neglecting the Northwest, is that the APC chunk votes came from North West and it has lost its major states and given an opportunity for the opposition to be stronger in its own strong hold.
It’s a word for the wise.
The critical analysis here is , Alhaji Abubakar Atiku got 6,984,520 votes, Mr Obi Peter Gregory scored 6,101,533 , Musa Mohammed Rabiu Kwankwaso, 1,496,687 votes, in 2019 they were all of the PDP, meaning they splitted their votes given an opportunity for Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to win with 8,794,726 votes. Imagine if such replicates itself in the Northwest come 2027(Northwest) which is the strong hold of APC.
So even if APC is calculating on an appointment of The Secretary to the Government of the Federation(SGF), Chief of Staff (CoS) and the likes, to the North , it’s not as good as having a senate President, who can be able to attract more government attention to the zone.
APC should tread with caution.
Trump said “There are methods which you could do it,” when asked to clarify a remark on seeking another term.
Donald Trump on Sunday repeated his suggestion that he might seek a third term as US president, NBC News reported, which would defy the two-term limit stipulated in the US constitution.
In a Sunday-morning phone call with NBC News, Trump said “I’m not joking,” when asked to clarify a remark on seeking another term, adding: “There are methods which you could do it.”
The 78-year-old billionaire has a history of suggesting he might serve more than two terms, but Sunday’s remarks were the most concrete in terms of referring to plans to achieve the goal.
Trump has launched his second presidency with an unprecedented blitz of executive power, using the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, to dismantle swaths of the government, and said his supporters want even more.
“A lot of people want me to do it,” Trump told NBC News on Sunday. “But, I mean, I basically tell them we have a long way to go, you know, it’s very early in the administration.”
Amending the US constitution to allow a third presidential term would require a two-thirds majority in both the House and Senate, which Trump’s Republican Party does not have.
Trump said it was “far too early to think about it,” but told NBC he had been presented with plans that would allow him to seek reelection.
When NBC asked Trump of a possible scenario whereby Vice President JD Vance would run for president and then abdicate the role to Trump, the US president said “that’s one” method.
He added that “there are others,” but refused to share further details.
If Trump does not approach Congress for the constitutional amendment, he would need to get support from two-thirds of the country’s 50 states to call a constitutional convention that would propose changes to the charter.
Whether he goes through Congress or the states, he would then require ratification from three-quarters of all states.
Both routes appear to be unlikely, given the current number of states and Congressional seats under Republican control.
A constitutional convention has never been successfully called in the United States, where all 27 constitutional amendments have been passed by the congressional method.
In January, days after Trump took office, Republican Andy Ogles of Tennessee introduced a House joint resolution to amend the constitution to allow presidents up to three terms.
AFP
US President Donald Trump has asserted that he is not jesting about his ambitions for a third presidential term, despite the constitutional restrictions in place.
While the U.S. Constitution prohibits any individual from serving more than two four-year terms, Trump indicated that it is premature to delve into such considerations.
Having assumed office for his second, non-consecutive term on January 20, Trump has hinted at his desire for a third term, addressing the matter more directly in a telephone conversation with NBC News.
“No, I’m not joking. I’m not joking,” Trump reiterated, though he acknowledged, “it is far too early to think about it.”
He hinted at potential avenues to pursue this goal without providing specific details.
According to the 22nd Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, U.S. presidents are limited to two terms, whether consecutive or not. To amend this constitutional provision would require a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress, followed by ratification from three-fourths of the 50 state legislatures.
Some of Trump’s allies have suggested the feasibility of extending his stay in the White House beyond 2028. Trump himself has alluded to this notion on multiple occasions, often in a manner that challenges his political adversaries. Should he pursue another term after the November 2028 election, he would be 82 years old, having previously made history as the oldest president at the time of his inauguration.
The tradition of limiting presidential terms was established by George Washington in 1796. This practice was largely followed for over 140 years until Franklin D. Roosevelt broke the norm by winning a third term in 1940. Roosevelt, who led the nation through the Great Depression and World War II, sadly passed away during his fourth term in 1945, leading to the enactment of the term limits amendment in 1951.
Steve Bannon, a long-time adviser to Trump, expressed in a March 19 interview with NewsNation his belief that Trump will indeed run again in 2028. Bannon noted that he and others are exploring ways to facilitate this ambition, including reviewing the definition of term limits. “We’re working on it,” he stated, underscoring the ongoing discussions surrounding Trump’s political future.
Traders in Lagos have voiced their concerns regarding the significant decline in food sales, particularly for pepper, attributing the downturn to rising prices and the diminished purchasing power of local residents.
In interviews conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), both traders and consumers shared their experiences regarding patronage as the Sallah celebration approaches.
Mr. Rabiu Zuntu, Chairman of the Tomato Growers and Processors Association of Nigeria (Kaduna chapter), linked the situation to the heightened prices of produce and the weakened purchasing capacity of consumers. He stated, “Pepper prices in the north are also steep, with a jumbo 50kg bag reaching as high as N150,000, compared to N60,000 to N70,000 just months ago. This price surge may adversely affect the Sallah festivities, as only a few consumers may afford these products.”
Zuntu further explained, “Currently, we are outside the pepper farming season. Insufficient rainfall has led to a scarcity of this commodity, with only a handful of farmers involved in irrigation. Many will resort to using dried pepper, which is more affordable during this time, although demand remains low. We anticipate an increase in demand as the celebration nears.”
Mrs. Mistura Balogun, a pepper vendor at Lawanson Market in Surulere, echoed these sentiments, noting the unusually low customer turnout. “It’s not just pepper that has become expensive; many other goods have seen price increases as well. Typically, this time of year should see a bustling market, but today is quite different. I have been at my stall since morning, and the number of customers is minimal,” she lamented.
Similarly, Mrs. Mojisola Gbadegesin, another pepper seller at Idi-Araba market, reported a stark decrease in patronage. “Despite the high prices, we usually see customers buying pepper, but this year is different. The market feels deserted, and business is sluggish,” she remarked.
Mrs. Judith Amen, also a foodstuff vendor, highlighted that the rising prices of pepper and other food items are likely to escalate further as the celebrations peak. “At the start of the week, a small bag of scotch bonnet pepper was priced at N70,000, and I expect prices to soar over the weekend due to Sallah. A good quality bag of rice is selling for N85,000, while lower-quality options range from N60,000 to N75,000. Although patronage is currently low, we anticipate an uptick a day before Sallah, but consumers will only purchase what they can afford,” she explained.
Mr. John Nwabueze, a trader in the Agege area, expressed frustration over the lack of customers as Eid celebrations begin. “Sales have been notably low, with people buying only what their budgets allow. The market has been unusually quiet, affecting all commodities, including rice. A 50kg bag of rice is priced between N76,000 and N78,000, yet sales remain sluggish this Sallah,” he noted.
Mrs. Amina Fakunle, a resident of the Alimosho area, remarked that the high cost of pepper would lead consumers to celebrate in a more subdued manner. “Just six pieces of pepper cost about N500, which is the lowest price available. With these prices, people will likely opt for a low-key celebration,” she stated.
Mr. David Oriafo, a resident of the Dopemu area, also commented on the lack of festive activity in the market. “I managed to purchase a few items for my family to save costs, but it’s evident that the usual festive buzz is missing. People are only buying what they can afford, much like myself,” he shared. (NAN)