Senator Simon Davou Nwadkwon of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), representing Plateau North, recently emerged as the minority leader of the Senate. However, the circumstances surrounding his victory revealed a series of meetings, power plays, and intrigues among PDP senators.
Prior to the Senate’s resumption from recess, PDP senators and stakeholders held several meetings to determine the minority leader’s position and compile a list of preferred candidates to be forwarded to the party. However, during a crucial meeting called by the Acting National Chairman of the party, both the chairman and the eventual minority leader were absent, leaving others confused about the proceedings.
It was discovered that a former governor from the South-South region was pushing for his preferred candidate to become the minority leader instead of the party’s choice, Senator Aminu Tambuwal, the immediate past governor of Sokoto State. The absence of the eventual minority leader at the meeting, without an apology, raised suspicions of a hidden agenda.
Tensions escalated among PDP senators as they became aware of the disregard for the party’s resolution by the Senate president, who had allegedly made a deal with the new minority leader. This deal explained the rush to an executive session before the opposition names were read on the Senate floor.
Despite a letter from the PDP’s National Working Committee, stating that the party was still deliberating on the minority leadership position, the Senate president announced Senator Nwadkwon as the minority leader, disregarding the party’s ongoing consultations. The letter congratulating the Senate president on his position also reiterated the PDP’s pending decision on the matter.
The announcement of principal officers from the minority parties revealed that new senators were given prominence over ranking senators, including Tambuwal, Dickson, Ningi, and Aliero. Before Senator Nwadkwon’s emergence, there were concerns among ranking senators, and they even issued a joint statement vowing to resist any attempt to impose a leadership on them.
In an interview, Senator Nwadkwon explained that the North Central region, which felt marginalized in the distribution of political offices, rallied behind him for the minority leader position. He clarified that he had no personal issues with Tambuwal and praised his support during the Senate session when some senators expressed dissatisfaction with his choice.
In conclusion, Senator Nwadkwon’s victory as the minority leader involved strategic political maneuvering and the support of the North Central region. The power plays and intrigues among PDP senators highlight the dynamics of leadership positions within the party.
