How Mark's loyalists stalled campaign for Senate president's seat

Taiwo Adisa, Abuja - 03.03.2008

LOYALISTS of the Senate President, Senator David Mark, may have stalled the jostling for the nation’s number three seat, which started shortly after the ruling of the Benue State Elections Petition Tribunal which ordered a repeat election in two local government areas that make up Mark’s constituency.

Last week, the Senate President took his colleagues into confidence at a closed session which lasted close to two hours. At the session, the Senate President was said to have briefed his colleagues on the ruling of the tribunal that nullified his election and expressed the confidence that he would win at the Court of Appeal.
Outside the closed session, Mark read a speech which showed his readiness to continue as the presiding officer of the Senate and chairman of the National Assembly.

But about three senators had emerged as contenders of the race to replace Mark soon after the tribunal ruling. While a majority of the senators were willing to wait for the Appeal Court to pronounce on the matter before taking any step, some interest groups immediately commenced moves to position their trusted senators from the North Central for the job.

The groups, which met in Abuja and Jos, Plateau State, had raised the number of possible candidates for the seat to four at the end of the week. A group of politicians outside the Senate were said to have zeroed in on a senator from Nasarawa State, while a senator from Kwara State was said to have also positioned for the top job.

But the need for a balance between the two major religions was said to have thrown up a senator from Kogi State, while discussions also went on about two senators from Niger State. One of the latter was, however, said to have drawn the ire of the senators recently and was overlooked while the other has not shown open interest.

It was gathered that deft moves from the Senate President’s camp stalled further campaign for the Senate top job as many of those mentioned in the race have visited the official residence of the Senate President to pledge loyalty.

Last week, the non-ranking senator from Niger State was first to pledge loyalty to Mark, while the senator from Nasarawa had done the same. The senator from Kwara was said to have denied lobbying to clinch the top job. Beside the rush to pledge loyalty to Mark, the Senate President’s camp is also said to be working on not only beefing up the legal challenge at the Court of Appeal, but also ensuring a firm control of the affairs of the Senate so as to stem any push from the varied interests that are said to be after Senator Mark’s job.