Posted by By ISMAIL OMIPIDAN, Abuja on
President Umaru Yar'Adua, Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Dimeji Bankole as well as former President, Olusegun Obasanjo at the weekend assured Senate President, David Mark of their unflinching support over the annulment of his election by the tribunal.
President Umaru Yar'Adua, Vice President, Goodluck Jonathan, House of Representatives Speaker, Hon. Dimeji Bankole as well as former President, Olusegun Obasanjo at the weekend assured Senate President, David Mark of their unflinching support over the annulment of his election by the tribunal.
The support of these eminent Nigerians came on the heels of similar solidarity messages from senators, who trooped to Mark's official residence, in Abuja
President Yar'Adua, who spoke to Mark on phone, extolled the Senate President's leadership qualities and assured him that he would rally the support of party members across board in his favour.
Jonathan also led other ministers, including Minister of Information, Mr. John Odey as well as his Youths Development counterpart, Senator Akinlabi Olasunkanmi, to Mark's official residence. He said Mark had given the Senate character, focus and determination for the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria .
On his part, Bankole visited with his deputy, Hon. Usman Nafada as well as other principal officers of the House. He assured Mark of the support and cooperation of the members of the House.
Obasanjo had also called on Mark to assure him of his support in the drive to upturn the tribunal's ruling at the Court of Appeal.
Mark's colleagues in the Senate, who thronged his residence, included the Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu; the Senate leader, Senator Teslim K. Folarin, his deputy, Vitor Ndoma Egba, the Senate Deputy Chief Whip, Senator Mohammed Mana, Senate Minority Leader, Senator Ma'aji Maina Lawan, deputy Minority Leader, Olorunnibe Mamora and the Secretary-General of the Northern Senators Forum, Bala Mohammed.
Also spotted at Mark's residence were senators Nimi Barigha-Amange, Lee Maeba, Iyiola Omisore, Grace Bent, Heineken Lokpobiri, Anthony Manso, Thompson Sekibo, Greg Ngaji, Effiong Bob, among others.
Mark's official residence has become a beehive of activities as political associates, friends, and colleagues besieged the place in solidarity.
Meanwhile, meetings are already going on among the different caucuses in the Senate, with a view to mapping out strategy on how to replace Mark, in case his appeal fails.
Mark's loyalists in the Senate, however, are already working surreptitiously to ensure that he remains Senate President even if there has to be fresh election for his seat in Benue State.
Daily Sun learnt that a pro-Mark group wants to exploit the possibility of having deputy Senate President preside over the affairs of the Senate, while Mark prepares for election. The group wants the office of Senate President to remain vacant until the fresh election holds, so that he could continue as Senate President.
Also, two candidates have been thrown up from the Mark camp, in case the above option fails. They are, Senators Abubakar Sodangi and Nicholas Yahya Ugbane. Daily Sun, however, gathered that the religion factor favours Ugbane, since he is a Christian from Kogi State, in the North-Central zone.