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Controversy trails nomination of Senate minority leader

By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh
05 July 2015   |   11:55 pm
The nomination of Senator John Enoh, a PDP Senator representing Cross Rivers Central Senatorial as Senate minority leader is causing trouble in the PDP caucus in the Upper House.
Enoh

Enoh

The nomination of Senator John Enoh, a PDP Senator representing Cross Rivers Central Senatorial as Senate minority leader is causing trouble in the PDP caucus in the Upper House.

Enoh’s candidacy which is said to be enjoying the support of a prominent leader in the PDP caucus has also attracted opposition from other ranking senators who described him as a first timer in the chamber but spent three terms in the House of Representatives.

It was gathered that soon after the zoning of positions for the minority party, a meeting was convened by Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu.

A source said:”the meeting was held to choose the minority leader… “As the meeting progressed, Senator James Manager, who has the same ranking in the chamber with Ekweremadu, was not invited to the meeting.

“Immediately Manager got to know of the meeting holding behind his back, he went straight to the venue where he met Ekweremadu presiding over the meeting to choose a minority leader”.

By the time he got there, it was decided that although the South south would produce the minority leader, Manager would not occupy the position since he is from Delta State where the same position had been zoned to Leo Ogor, his kinsman.

Manager was not in d meeting.

It was gathered that the top-ranking Senator pushed for the candidacy of Enoh since he is a ranking member of the National Assembly. But, he is a fresher in the Senate.

Order 2 of the Senate Standing Orders reads: Election of presiding and other officers states that in determining ranking, “the following order shall apply: (i) Senators returning based on number of times re-elected; (II) Senators who had been members of the House of Representatives; (iii) Senators elected as Senators for the first time.”

Manager has been in the chamber since 2003 while Enoh and Akpabio were elected into the Senate on March 28 this year.

A Senator who was at the meeting revealed that former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio nominated Manager being he most ranking member of the caucus.

But there was no consensus on the nomination, which prompted another nomination of Senator George Thompson Sekibo.
That nomination, too, did not fly. That was when the nomination of Enoh was mooted.

He continues: “Senator Akpabio was surprised that the ranking rule could be jettisoned for a fresher. Some people in our fold decided to do things their own way by going outside the ranking rule.

“At the meeting, Akpabio was the one who nominated Manager in the first place and he was very serious about it. But from nowhere, they now brought Enoh, from the House and Akpabio said, if Enoh, who is a first term Senator from the House can be promoted, then, he, too, will join the race… There’s problem in the PDP already, but the PDP is just trying to manage it so that it doesn’t spill to the public.”

12 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    Hahahahahaha they too have their own kettle of rotten fresh fish. PDP poverty to the people

  • Author’s gravatar

    Let’s not begin to bring up controvesy into this. The Senate rules on ranking put Enoh ahead of Akpabio. He is eminently qualified haven been elected thrice to the House of Representative. Chaired the Appropriation committee of the house and has performed creditably well. If Ogor is being primmed for the House leadership, then somebody from another state should be given the chance. Clearly by ranking, Enor is senior to Akpabio. Period.

  • Author’s gravatar

    By the standing order two on ranking it is proof positive that Enoh Owan should be the minority leader. With the analysis of Ogor as the minority leader from Delta, where Manager comes from we don’t expect manager to get that position also in the upper house. Law makers are descent people, our brother Akpabio who happens to be Enoh’s very close friend and ally, should not be the problem to Enoh. We are one people we love and respect Akpabio. Enoh has been minority leader in the cross River State house of Assembly in 1999 and has consistently been in the legislative business with a large heart for service.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Why is Ekweremadu always involved in everything crooked. He changed the senate rule with the senate clerk to favor him and he becomes deputy senate leader now he is changing the senate rule for his crony, this guy is bad news for Nigeria. He thinks is above the law

  • Author’s gravatar

    Senator Akpabio should rest his overzealousness and wait for d next time,senator Enoh is of d position to take it

  • Author’s gravatar

    Is this not a paid job? Ekweremadu is not a member of PDP South South Caucus how could he then summoned or organize a meeting with sole purpose of selecting someone from the Zone as a PDP Minority Leader. PDP National Secretariat has already mandated the two chambers to elect their candidates using Zonal Caucuses and based on the Zoning adopted by the Party. Ekweremadu is from South East and as such a member of PDP South East Caucus and cannot at same time be part of South South PDP Caucus. I see many dishonest people parading themselves as Journalists.

  • Author’s gravatar

    Akpabio should not appear to be an enemy to the progress of Cross River. I wonder what goes through his mind when he hears the name Cross River? Money is not all there is to life in a situation were Owan Enoh have been nominated, I don’t see any reason why sen. Gods will will dabble in to cause confusion. When you guys were going to the senate, we prayerfully supported you and were glad of the combinational benefits we would get from both of you pitching tends ,sen. Akpabio, it should not be you please . Cross River is still trying to figure out it’s way of recovery from the ceding of our 72 oil wells sponsored and champions by you. Clear the road for the ranking senator John Enoh, he is by all standard a congress man with 16 yrs legislative experience. Cross River state house of assembly minority leader in 1999, in the federal house of assembly, he has served in several. Capacity ranging from deputy chairman culture and tourism deputy chairman appropriations committee, chairman finance committee and lately chairman appropriations committee in the seventh assembly.his large heart and tenacity is highly needed for the pdp 2019 winning agenda as he is said to be one of the south south riders.

  • Author’s gravatar

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  • Author’s gravatar

    It will be a silly thing for PDP to start fighting for position when they can work as one regardless of who is who. Not at this point.

  • Author’s gravatar

    hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!