The 9th Senate has finally resumed from its 19-day recess and named Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (Kebbi North) as Majority Leader. The assembly also named seven other principal officers. The other officers as read out at plenary by President of the Senate, Dr Ahmad Lawan, include Senator Ajayi Boroffice (Ondo North) as Deputy Leader; former governor of Abia State, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North) as Chief Whip while Senator Sabi Abdullahi (Niger East) emerged as Deputy Whip.
Others include Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia State), Minority Leader; Emmanuel Bwacha (Taraba South), Deputy Minority Leader; Philip Aduda (FCT), Minority Whip and Saibi Yau (Zamfara North) Deputy Minority Whip.
It is left to be seen by Nigerians that the 9th Senate would not be a rubber stamp of President Muhammadu Buhari especially when the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege began his legislative duties by kneeling down to greet Buhari shortly after he emerged as Deputy Senate President. Recalled that the lead principal officers paid a courtesy visit to Buhari after they were elected but Omo-Agege’s display cast a shadow of doubt across Nigeria that the 9th Senate may not be able to objectively challenge Buhari the way an independent Senate should.
