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A close associate of Mohammed Sani Musa, the Senator representing Niger East Senatorial District, has said the federal lawmaker may be pushed to contest the position of the Senate President by other senators from the zone.
An associate of the Senator, who spoke on condition of anonymity, disclosed this in Abuja, on Monday.
The source, who is a former member of the House of Representatives, also explained that Musa, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Services, would declare his ambition whenever the All Progressives Congress (APC) zones the various presiding and principal offices.
He expressed the hope that the APC would zone the Senate Presidency to the North Central geopolitical zone.
The source also disclosed that the National Chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, will not work against zoning the Senate Presidency to the North Central zone.
He noted that Adamu would not mind to do anything that will promote the emergence of a Senate President from the North Central geopolitical zone and by extension paving the way for Musa’s emergence.
“Once the office is zone to North Central, Senator Musa will run for the office of the Senate President. We hope and pray that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would zone the office to the North Central because the zone has proven to be APC stronghold, especially Niger State that gave the highest votes in the zone.
“Senator Abdullahi Adamu will be interested in the emergence of Sani Musa as the next Senate President and he would not mind sacrificing his appointment to make that happen.,” he said.
On possible clash of Musa’s ambition with that of the incumbent Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, being his friend and leader, the source said: “Lawan and Musa are from different zones hence no clash of interest if the party comes out with zoning formula.”
“As we speak, I do not think Senator Lawan is longer going to contest the office of the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly,” he said.
Asked what would happen if the party fails to zone the office to the North Central, he said: “Senator Musa would contest for the position of the Deputy Senate President if zoned.”
“He is already talking to his colleagues and close associates about his ambition,” the source added.
Musa has joined other contestants like Senators Orji Uzor Kalu, Godswill Akpabio, Barau Jibrin, Abdulaziz Yari, David Umahi and Adams Oshiomhole, who were all reported to be eyeing the top position.
Musa, is unarguably the most popular senator in the 9th Assembly because of the importance of his committee to his colleagues, majority of whom he interact with, virtually on daily basis.
He is popularity known as 313 among his colleagues, and narrowly missed being the National Chairman of the APC, after President Muhammadu Buhari and other leaders of the party appealed to the aspirants to step down for Adamu.
According to reports, Musa was the favoured candidate of the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, for the APC chairmanship seat.
The fact that the Niger East senator reportedly supported the Senate President during the race for the party’s presidential ticket did not taint the relationship between him and Tinubu.
Those who are very close to Musa argued that the billionaire entrepreneur played significant roles in the eventual emergence of the Tinubu as president-elect.
