The 9th National Assembly and election of Presiding Officers for both the Senate and the House of Representatives in Abuja has inaugural begun.
Initially, members exchanged pleasantries and engaged one another in intensive lobbying and shouting order.
The the Clerk to the National Assembly, CAN, Mohammed Sani-Omolori, who is presiding over the affairs of the house has taken a roll call of the Senators from the 36 states of the Federation in an Alphabetical order.
Of the 109 Senators enshrined in the Constitution, 107 attended the inaugural session.
The Senate President, Lawan, who has been nominated has spoken.
Senator Ndume who has been nominated for the position is making an acceptance speech now.
Already, there is very tight Security in and around the National Assembly.
The gates are manned by armed members of the Department of State Security, DSS, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, the Police, just as the only entrance to the venue is the gate of the Secretary to the government of the Federation, SGF and that of Presidential Villa.
Meanwhile, the former Senate Leader and a strong contender for the position of Senate President for the 9th Senate, Senator Ali Ndume, APC, Borno South arrived the premises some hours ago. Ndume who is dressed in his usual white Babaringa, arrived at 7.20 am and went straight to the Mosque under the chamber to pray.
Equally, Senator Ahmed Lawan, Yobe North a key contender to the Senate Presidency arrived the chambers.
Also immediate past governor of Imo State and governor elect for Imo West, Rochas Okorocha also arrived and went straight to the office of the Clerk to the National Assembly, CNA, Mohammed Sani Omolori. Okorocha arrived the Senate Lobby at 7.40 a.m.
Also the former governor of Kano State, Senator Kabiru Gaya, APC, South who us aspiring for the position of Deputy Senate President has arrived the Lobby. He arrived 7.45 a.m.
Meanwhile, the National Working Committee, NWC, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after very extensive consultations with critical stakeholders has resolved to support Senator Ali Ndume and Hon. Umar Mohammed Bago for the position of Senate President and Speaker of House of Representatives respectively.
The final resolution to support Senator Ndume and Hon. Bago was reached at the end of a decisive meeting of members of the National Working Committee, party leaders, state governors as well as senators and members-elect on the platform of the PDP.
In a statement issued in the early hours of Tuesday and signed by the party’s national secretary, Ibrahim Tsauri, the PDP said the decision “is in the best interest of the nation, in line with our party’s determination to deepen democracy, ensure a strong and independent legislature, strict compliance with the principle of separation of powers as well as constitutional checks and balances in the polity.
“All senators and members-elect on the platform of the PDP are to be guided accordingly.” A Presidential aspirant on the platform of the party in the 2019 election had earlier told our correspondent that lawmakers elected on the platform of the PDP will take a decision on the 9th Assembly leadership based on national interest.
