Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the President-elect of Nigeria, has returned to the country after a 32-day vacation in three countries, following the conclusion of the 2023 presidential polls. He arrived in Abuja, the nation’s capital, accompanied by his wife, Oluremi, and son, Seyi, to a warm reception by his supporters, stalwarts, and members of his ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Tinubu had been in London, Paris, and Saudi Arabia, where he observed the lesser Hajj.
According to a statement from the Office of the President-elect, among those at the airport to receive him were Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, House of Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, as well as Governors Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Abubakar Sani-Bello (Niger) and former Borno State Governor, Ali Modu Sheriff.
Addressing the crowd who followed him home, Tinubu expressed his happiness to be back and revealed that he had rested, refreshed, and was ready for the task ahead. He said he had been consulting and planning to put together a strong team so that he could hit the ground running once he assumes office on May 29.
With Tinubu’s return, party sources have said that the APC hierarchy and stakeholders will soon meet to discuss the issue of zoning of offices, especially that of the forthcoming 10th National Assembly. There are concerns that without Tinubu and the zoning template, several senators-elect and members-elect from the various zones of the country have been lobbying and campaigning to become Senate President, and House of Representatives Speaker, among others.
In the 2015 scenario, Senator Bukola Saraki emerged as Senate President, instead of Senator Ahmad Lawan, who was the choice of the APC leadership. In that era, Senator Ike Ekwereamdu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also emerged as Deputy Senate President. In the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara became speaker, instead of Femi Gbajabiamila.
Last weekend, the members-elect from seven opposition parties vowed to snatch the House of Representatives speakership from the APC. While the opposition parties, collectively, have 182 seats, the APC has 178 slots. Senate President Ahmad Lawan, over the weekend, assured that the 2015 fiasco would not recur, adding that the opposition parties would not stop the APC from producing the leaders of the Senate and House of Representatives in the 10th NASS.
According to a top APC source, Tinubu has stated that he is not interested in who becomes Senate President or speaker, as it is a decision to be taken by the lawmakers themselves. However, he wants balance and inclusivity in the sharing of positions, and he will urge the party leaders to ensure these in the sharing of position.
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