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From Fred Itua, Abuja
Barely 24 hours after the former Chairman of Northern Senators’ Forum, Abdul Ningi resigned his position, following his suspension for three months by the upper legislative chamber, 51 senators have elected their new leaders.
They elected six executive members, to be led by the Chairman, Senator Adetokunbo Abiru (APC Lagos East) .
The senators who met at the conference room of the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele ( APC Ekiti Central ), said the Forum, like the Northern Senators’s Forum, has been in existence since the 9th Senate and not a newly-formed one.
Specifically, Bamidele who served as Chairman of the forum during the 9th Senate, said his current position as Leader of the 10th Senate, affected him from providing the required leadership, necessitating a change of leadership which took place at the meeting.
He said: “What is happening here today is not new as both the Southern and Northern Senators’ fora existed even before this 10th Senate.
“At this meeting of the Southern Senators , new executive members will be announced to steer the affairs of the Forum.
“The new Chairman as unanimously agreed by Southern Senators is Senator Adetokunbo Abiru ( APC Lagos East) , Vice Chairman, Senator Victor Umeh ( Labour Party , Anambra Central) , Secretary , Senator Mpigi Barinada ( PDP Rivers South East) , Publicity Secretary, Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong ( APC Cross River North ) and Treasurer , Senstor Kenneth Eze ( APC Ebonyi Central).”
Accepting his appointment as the new leader of the Forum, Abiru in his remarks, said the Forum would serve as veritable platform for discussing, analysing and dissecting national issues by Southern senators for the sole purpose of moving Nigeria forward.
He added that they will partner with Northern Senators’ Forum to move the country forward.
“This forum, the Southern Senators forum is to champion the course of Nigeria and Nigerians. We have our Northern brothers with the Northern Senators Forum. We will work together with the Northern Senators forum to move the country forward.
“We will swing into action and roll out our plans for the betterment of the region and Nigeria. We will mapped out our our plans and work on them for the betterment of Nigeria and Nigerians generally .
“Before today , we have been running the forum in this 10th Senate as if we don’t exist but now that the last leadership has transferred power to us., the forum would be made vibrant,” he said.
