Saraki is being tried by the tribunal for false declaration of assets when he was the governor of Kwara State between 2007 and 2011.
According to our source, a senator from the zone yesterday said: “It is expected that the North-central zone retains the seat because in the present dispensation, the zone only has the Senate presidency allotted to us.”
The senator, who elected to speak anonymously, disclosed that several meetings across political divides had been held recently on the issue.
He said: “It is becoming obvious that the present occupant of the seat would likely give in to the pressure coming from his trial at the Code of Conduct Tribunal.
“So we have weighed the situation surrounding Saraki’s situation and have come to the resolution that we must work across board to have one of our own replace him. This is in the spirit of political correctness and inclusion.
“When you look at the crop of senators from the zone, we have experienced lawmakers comprising ranking and knowledgeable senators capable of administering the Senate. Some of us have combined experience of both being in the executive and now as legislators.
“Agreeably, the zone parades the best crop of lawmakers in the present Senate and it is rightly expected that we retain the leadership of the Senate at this crucial time.
“What we have done is to look at individual senator’s profiles and taken crucial Senate service requirements into consideration and I can tell you that we have a consensus on who is most suited for the job."
“It is in the overall interest of the zone to keep the seat without any compromise at this point in time and this is what we have decided to do regardless of political affiliations.”
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may field Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu as a likely replacement if there is vacancy following the Chairman of All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun said in a recent interview that his party would only consider it as sacrifice for Change should the opposition PDP emerges as the next President of the Senate.
Some members of the opposition party are thinking in that direction following the body language of the Unity Forum and the Like Minds camps in the Senate.
Members of both camps, who spoke with our correspondent yesterday evening, revealed that they are considering Ekweremadu as a possible replacement for the Senate president, based on his experience and the fact that he has been Saraki’s deputy since last June.
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