In a move, which could best be described as an attempt to broker a new rapprochement, the Abuja residence of a former Benue State Governor George Akume at the weekend played host to the Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki.

Sources close to Saraki informed US that the Senate president had been trying to break the ice in the frosty relationship between himself and Akume for a while, but Akume was preoccupied with constituency issues back home in Benue State.

It was gathered that when a meeting was firmed up a few weeks ago, Akume was said to have undertaken an impromptu trip abroad.
In the run up to the June 9th proclamation of the Eighth Senate, Saraki, Akume and Ahmed Lawan were frontline contenders for the leadership of the Senate.

Akume, following the advice of the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), subsequently stepped down for Lawan in a bid to become the latter’s deputy.

However, Saraki, with the support of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), emerged Senate president in circumstances which precipitated deep-seated discontent among supporters of Lawan and the ruling party.

This was further worsened by the emergence of Ike Ekweremadu of the PDP as Saraki’s deputy.

While Saraki was backed by a group, which goes by the name “Senators of Like Minds”, the Lawan/Akume project was spearheaded by the “Unity Forum” group.

Saraki’s subsequent refusal to accommodate the Lawan-Akume group in the constitution of other principal positions in the Senate, in total disregard of the APC’s admonition, further exacerbated the feud in the upper chamber of the federal legislature.

Ever since, the Senate has been forced into several lengthy adjournments and holidays to allow tempers to cool and seek ways out of what was obviously a logjam.

The meeting between Saraki and Akume, reportedly held on Sunday, when most members of the family of the Benue senator were away to church. This was to give the visit utmost privacy.

Sources did not disclose the details of the meeting which lasted for over an hour, but it was believed that Saraki enjoined Akume to let bygones be bygones so that they could join hands together to build and steer a virile Senate.

The Senate president, according to the source, drew comparisons between his political odyssey and Akume’s career, and suggested that both of them had been fated as leaders from the North-central zone and their collaboration could only profit the zone and the country at large.

Following his arraignment by the Code of Conduct Bureau (CCB) on allegations of false declaration of assets, Saraki has adopted a reconciliatory approach by reaching out to those perceived to have been opposed to his emergence as Senate president.

During the Independence Day celebrations last Thursday, he engaged in a tete-a-tete with President Muhammadu Buhari and subsequently held a closed-door meeting with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

The move, THISDAY learnt, is aimed at mending fences with his party and senators who have been opposed to his leadership of the Senate.

Meanwhile, following the submission of the list of the first batch of 21 ministerial nominees by President Buhari, Saraki’s residence has been turned into a Mecca by nominees who want to ensure that they get a smooth passage during their screening likely to commence next week.

Sources informed THISDAY that Saraki played host to a former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi; former Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola; and the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, yesterday in Abuja.

Another party chieftain sighted at his residence was the Governor of Sokoto State, Alhaji Aminu Tambuwal, who was said to have come to ensure that ministerial nominees from the North-west zone encounter few hitches.

Sources said the lobby by ministerial nominees has intensified and would reach fever pitch in the days leading up to the screening next week.

Speaking on the timing for the screening of the nominees, Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Senator Babajide Omoworare, said expecting the screening to take place this week was not realistic in view of legislative protocol.

He said what was more realistic was that the screening would be done on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week.

According to him, all that would be done on the list today is to merely read it by the Senate president as an executive communication and no more.

Furthermore, he said the letter from the president containing the names of the ministerial nominees would then be formally slated on the order paper tomorrow (Wednesday) after which it would be referred to the Committee of the Whole Senate for consideration.

He said it is after it is referred to the Committee of the Whole that the screening dates would be announced.

Omoworare, who said he did not have the details of the list, however, stressed that the more realistic thing was that the screening would take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week.

“The screening will follow the same procedure that previous screenings have followed. The letter will be read tomorrow (today) by the Senate president and will be slated as an executive communication. It will then be slated on the order paper on Wednesday and will be referred to the Committee of the Whole for consideration on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday next week, most likely,” he said.

Asked whether it would not be scheduled for Thursday after referring it to the committee for screening, he replied, “I don't think so.”
He added that even though the letter would be read today, in line with legislative protocol, it could not be referred for consideration the same day.

Besides, he said a matter could not be slated for consideration unless it had first of all been referred to the appropriate committee, explaining further that today and tomorrow would be devoted to reading the letter and committing it to the committee stage after which the screening schedule would be announced.

“Despite the fact that the letter will be read tomorrow (today), it cannot be slated for hearing. What we will do this week is to commit it to the Committee of the Whole. You cannot slate what has not been committed.

“Sincerely, l don't know if it can be slated for Thursday. All l can say certainly is that the letter will be read tomorrow (today). It will be committed on Wednesday (tomorrow). Whether it will now be slated for Thursday l can't say. But we can't screen 21 people in one day,” he said.