All Progressives Congress (APC ) leaders are backing Ahmed Lawan, Femi Gbajabiamila, George Akume and five others as principal
officers of the National Assembly, The Nation learnt last night .
The party has adopted the lists submitted to it by The Unity Forum ( Senate) and The Loyalists ( House of Representatives ) to heal the wounds and reconcile all after the June 9 controversial elections .
This has put pressure on Senate President Bukola Saraki and House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara .
It was learnt that more than 12 members of the APC National Working Committee (NWC ) supported the candidates recommended by The Unity Forum and The Loyalists.
Those recommended by the party as principal officers in the Senate are Lawan(Majority Leader ); Prof. Sola Adeyeye( Chief Whip ); Sen. George Akume( Deputy Majority Leader); and Sen . Abu Ibrahim (Deputy Chief Whip) .
The list for the House of Representatives has Gbajabiamila( House Leader ); Hon. Alhassan Ado Doguwa ( Deputy House Leader); M . T . Monguno ( Chief Whip ) and Hon. Pally Iriase (Deputy Chief Whip ).
A source said : “ Most members of the NWC and leaders of the APC are fully in support of the lists from the Unity Forum and The Loyalists. We need to heal wounds and move forward .
“ It will only be fair and just if the aggrieved legislators are allowed to choose among themselves the principal officers .”
The leaderships of the two groups generated lists which they sent to the APC National Chairman , who is expected to send them to the Senate President.
Asked if the lists are binding on Saraki and Dogara , the source said : “ They have no discretion in the matter; they must abide by it if
they are really loyal party members .
“ It is the responsibility of the party to recommend these principal officers . In 2011, we were told that the President of the 7 th
Senate, Chief David Mark was not going to work with Akume as minority leader but the defunct Action Congress of Nigeria insisted on Akume. ”
None of the officers of the party was willing to speak with the press last night.
For the first time after the crisis of confidence erupted among APC Senators Saraki and Lawan met at Oyegun ’s residence to explore the possibility of reconciliation.
A top source , who spoke in confidence, said after Oyegun sued for reconciliation , Saraki and Lawan were asked to retire into a room for “ frank talks.”
The source said : “We were all happy that Saraki and Lawan agreed to hold a tête -à -tête for the first time and we waited with bated breath for what they will agree upon .
