Ahead of the scheduled parley with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President‑elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu in Abuja, several senators‑elect and members‑elect of the House of Representatives were seen in the capital on Sunday. Among those spotted were Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele—recently re‑elected for Ekiti Central Senatorial District—and Kano North senator‑elect Barau Jibrin. The closed‑door meeting, set for Monday at the State House, has generated considerable interest in recent days.
Although the agenda was not disclosed, a source at the APC secretariat told our correspondent that the discussion will focus on early consultation and strategic planning concerning the zoning of the Senate Presidency, the Speakership of the House of Representatives, and other principal offices of the National Assembly. The source added that the “ghost of the civilian coup” orchestrated by Senator Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara in 2015—when they secured the Senate Presidency and House Speakership—still haunts the ruling party. It was also reported that the top item on the agenda is the call for the resignation of APC National Chairman Abdullahi Adamu and the leadership of the National Assembly.
A senator‑elect, speaking on condition of anonymity, explained that Adamu’s resignation is paramount. “There were serious concerns before the election, and many of us believe that Adamu should step down to assuage the Christian community’s feelings toward our party,” he said. “The calculation was that our Christian brothers and sisters would soften their stance if we produced a Christian National Chairman. However, superior arguments suggested such arrangements could only be made at the party’s convention, and it was not advisable to go into the election with a divided house. Nonetheless, we agreed that urgent action was needed once our presidential and vice‑presidential candidates emerged victorious. I would not be surprised if the National Chairman arrives tomorrow with his resignation letter in his pocket.”
Senators confirmed to be in town for the meeting include Senator Sani Musa (Niger East) and Senator Opeyemi Bamidele (Ekiti Central). Senator‑elect Pastrick Ndubueze (Imo‑North) was expected to fly into Abuja today. In a telephone interview, Senator Sani Musa said, “I am in town and preparing for tomorrow’s meeting.” A statement from Senator Bamidele’s media office echoed this, noting that the meeting is “very crucial” to him. Senator Solomon Adeola’s aide, Kayode Odunaro, could not confirm his boss’s whereabouts but expected him in Abuja early tomorrow morning. Similarly, Nwokorie David, media aide to Senator‑elect Ndubueze, said his principal’s flight was cancelled on Sunday, but he should arrive “first thing tomorrow morning, God‑willing.”
The invitation, signed by APC National Secretary Iyiola Omisore, was posted on the party’s official Twitter account at 10:08 pm on Friday. It requested that guests bring their Certificates of Return issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission and arrive early for a screening exercise before the 2 pm event.
The parley follows calls from party members, including APC National Vice Chairman (North‑West) and National Working Committee member Mallam Salihu Lukman, to lock down the sensitive positions of Speaker and Senate President after the President and Vice President slots were zoned to the South‑West and North‑East, respectively. When contacted on Sunday evening, Senate President Ahmad Lawan’s Special Assistant on Media Matters, Ola Awoniyi, confirmed that Lawan is in town. Director of Media and Publicity Bayo Onanuga said Tinubu looks forward to a fruitful deliberation with the senators‑elect and their House counterparts, adding, “I am sure Asiwaju will definitely be in attendance. The last I called him, he was resting, but I have no idea about their agenda for tomorrow’s meeting.”
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