After meeting with the President on Wednesday and Thursday, newly elected legislators have continued to lobby for support.

In May, the APC leadership zoned the Senate President and Deputy Senate President positions to Senators Godswill Akpabio of the South-South and Jibrin Barau of the North-West, respectively. Additionally, the party endorsed the member-elect representing Kaduna (North-West), Tajudeen Abbas, as speakership candidate, and the member-elect from Abia State (South-East), Benjamin Kalu, won the Deputy Speaker position.

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Senators Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara West), Osita Izunaso (Imo West), and Orji Kalu (Abia North) have insisted that they will not give up their ambitions to run for Senate President in favor of the party's consensus candidate.

Likewise, in the House, a group of disgruntled aspirants known as the G7 have sworn to challenge Abbas for the position of Speaker.

While the information gathered by this platform indicated that Yari's camp may announce its consensus candidate by Sunday, The Punch revealed that at least two G7 members may run against Abbas.

However, sources have allegedly offered explanations for why the President did not mention consensus candidates during his meetings with newly-elected lawmakers, claiming that he only promoted national unity.

Adamu Ranga, the newly-elected representative for the Ningi/Warji Federal Constituency in Bauchi State, told The Punch that the President did not endorse any of the candidates contending for the senate or House leadership, but instead called for a united front.

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Ranga said, 

“Mr President spoke to the general assembly, both Senate and the House of Representatives, in order to ensure that we have a solid government. Secondly, he emphasised that he will perform an open-door policy for everybody.

“Whoever wants to see him can see him without any hindrance. And whatever you want to discuss with him, he will give you that privilege to discuss. Thirdly, he said we should put our constituency first since we are here to represent them. He mentioned that he wants the Senate and the House to cooperate to elect good leaders.”

 

A source close to Sani Jaji and Ahmed Wase stated the same thing.

 “Prior to yesterday (Wednesday meeting), there was a meeting of the aspirants with Tinubu at the State House. He was not categorical. What he told them there and then was that the zoning stands.

‘’But he did not say ‘support Abbas’ but he said ‘zoning of the party stands.’ So, invariably, what he was trying to tell them, based on our interpretation, is that those aspirants from that zone can go ahead and contest.”

 

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The source remarked further

 “That is what Tinubu told members-elect on that day. I can confirm that one,” adding that, “It leaves Jaji, Soli and Abbas – the three of them – to slug it out.”

When asked definitively if Jaji would run against Abbas, the source stated, `Yes, he is.” The source could not, however, state the same about Wase.

The source also disclosed that Jaji met with some members-elect at his Abuja office on Thursday afternoon as part of his ongoing campaign for votes, and that the G-7 and members-elect would meet again on Saturday.

Prof. Paul Nnamchi, a member-elect for the Enugu East/Isiuzo Federal Constituency, stated that Tinubu only urged legislators to uphold the national interest during the meetings.

Nnamchi said “He appealed that we should forget about party politics and face national interest. That was the major part of his speech. He didn’t mention anybody’s name to be voted for. Maybe he is appealing, but I didn’t hear anybody’s name.”