The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) says the All Progressives Congress (APC) should zone the senate presidency to the south-south.
In a statement by the group’s spokesman, Ken Robinson, PANDEF said it is only “proper” for the ruling party which has a majority of Senators-elect, to zone the highly coveted position to the South-South zone.
The APC won majority of the legislative seats during the elections with over 55 Senate seats out of 109 and over 160 out of 360 House of Representatives seats.
Meanwhile, some senators including Godswill Akpabio, who is from the south-south, have declared their ambitions to lead the 10th assembly.
Jibrin Barau (Kano Central); Sani Musa (Niger East); Orji Kalu (Abia North); Osita Izunaso (Imo West); Peter Ndubueze (Imo North); Abdul’Aziz Yari (Zamfara West); Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North); and Ali Ndume (Borno South) are all aiming to become the senate president.
“The south-south zone has an unassailable reason to step up to the senate presidency, after twenty-four years of our current democratic experience. No contrary arguments can stand against this south-south position,” he said.
According to the statement
“PANDEF, therefore, implores the president-elect, senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with other key stakeholders of the APC, and, indeed, all senators-elect of all parties, and the party hierarchies, to support the ceding of the incoming senate presidency to the south-south zone. This is, unarguably, the fair and proper thing to do, at this time of our country’s political progression.
“Whilst agreeing, in parts, with the positions postulated by the progressive governors’ forum, and sundry individuals, on the subject, PANDEF is disturbed by some of the names reported in the media, to have indicated an interest in the senate presidency, in particular.
“PANDEF, as a body of patriots and proven committed stakeholders, in the Nigerian project, is compelled to issue this timely advice, in the national interest. Thus, urges politicians to draw lessons from recent happenings in the polity, and demonstrate grander statesmanship, and patriotism, in designing the leadership of the upcoming 10th national assembly.”
