Opposition senators have vowed to resist any attempt to
foist compromised leadership on the minority caucus.

The four principal positions reserved for the opposition
parties in the Senate are minority leader, deputy minority leader, minority
whip and deputy whip.

In a move to get his political associates into minority
leadership positions in the Red Chamber, the immediate past governor of Rivers
state, Nyesom Wike, met Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Thursday.

The meeting, which held at the National Assembly, lasted for
several hours. Wike left the parliament around 6.30pm without talking to
newsmen.

But opposition senators vowed to resist any attempt to foist
“compromised leadership” on them by forces within and outside the National
Assembly.

The lawmakers, in a joint statement, said the minority
caucus would select its leaders after consultation with their respective
political parties without undue interference from anti-democratic forces.

They emphasized that no senator has yet been endorsed or
selected for any minority position.

The statement was jointly signed by Mohammed Adamu Aliero,
Henry Seriake Dickson, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, Abdul Ningi, Patrick Abba Moro,
Ezenwa Francis Onyewuchi, Sumaila Kawu, and Ifeanyi Patrick Ubah.

It said, “It has come to the notice of the Minority
Political Parties in the Senate of an attempt by forces inside and outside the
Senate to divide the Minority Parties and foist a pliant and compromised
leadership on them.

“We have pledged to work constructively with the new Senate
leadership and the Executive branch to deliver good governance to the Nigerian
people. We consequently hereby advise and caution that they should not aid any
group inside or outside the Senate to divide and destabilise the minority
parties and the Senate institution.

“Senators of the minority parties would meet when the Senate
reconvenes and, in consultation with our respective political parties, would
select its leaders without undue interference from anti-democratic forces
within or outside the Senate.

“For the avoidance of doubt, no Senator has yet been
endorsed or selected for any Minority position as this would await due process
as agreed by all Minority Parties in their last meeting. Attempt to foist a one
party dictatorship would be resisted and would fail. We call on all members of
the Minority Political Parties to work together in unity to defend the
democratic institution of the Senate and Nigeria.”