TheCable

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) says the All Progressives Congress (APC) should zone the senate presidency to the south-south.

The socio-political group said the office of the number three citizen should be zoned to the south-south because the region has not produced a senate president since 1983.

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.

TheCable had reported that a group of former and serving members of the national assembly asked the APC to nominate Godswill Akpabio, a former governor of Akwa Ibom, as the senate president. 

In a statement by Ken Robinson, the spokesperson of PANDEF, zoning the senate president’s office to the south-south is the “fair and proper” thing to do.

“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.

“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.”