10th NASS: S’East Senators-Elect Send Strong Message to Tinubu, Demand Senate President Seat
- Bola Tinubu, the president-elect, has been urged to resist the plot of zoning the senate presidency to another geo-political zone
- The southeast senators-elect appealed to the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, to support the South-East region to produce the next Senate President in the interest of equity and fairness
- The elected lawmakers demanded the South East should be carried along with other geo-political zones
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Elected senators of the Southeast extraction have called on the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to end perceived marginalization of the Southeast region of Nigeria by resisting the plot to take the senate presidency to another geo-political zone.
This is contained in a communique issued after a closed-door meeting on Sunday, May 7, at the Maitama residence of Senator Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah in Abuja, which was made available to Legit.ng.
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10th NASS: South East senators-elect tasks Tinubu
The Southeast senate caucus, at the end of the meeting that reportedly lasted several hours, observed with dismay the antics of persons with vested selfish interests, who having planted themselves around the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, vowed to shut out the Southeast from the senate presidency of the 10th Senate, which to them, is unfortunate.
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The group stressed that beyond ethnic and religious considerations, in the forthcoming 10th Senate, the Southeast is blessed with ranking senators-elect, including members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who have the cranial capacity, competence, influence, experience and political followership to pilot the affairs of the red chamber; stressing that it becomes imperative that the All Progressives Congress upholds the principle of natural justice and equity which it preaches, by zoning the seat of senate president to the Southeast region.
What may happen if south east does not get the senate presidency seat
They urged Tinubu to be conscious of the grave implications of zoning and endorsing a candidate from the South-South without any regard for the Southeast, as such moves would no doubt serve as a recipe for Injustice which will culminate to restiveness in the 10th Senate.
They, therefore, implored the president-elect to be sensitive to the times in Nigeria, and ensure that the country continues to thrive on the stance of equity, unity and fairness to the tripod of Nigeria (Hausa Igbo and Yoruba) and the geopolitical zones.
The caucus, however, opined that the country is already divided along ethnic and religious lines due to the exclusion of the Southeast region, which formed the major reason, the APC received the number of votes from the Southeast, and therefore, asked the incoming administration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to correct the anomaly by ensuring that the Southeast is allowed to produce the next senate president.
They also lamented the side-lining of the Southeast from producing the presidential candidates of the two major political parties before the general elections, and stressed that the only means through which the zone could be compensated and given a sense of belonging is for the zone to produce the next senate president as, according to them, this will restore confidence of the people from the Southeast, and indeed, all Nigerians in the unity of the country.
The senators-elect sends message to the leadership of the APC
They called on the APC, as a matter of national urgency, to rise above primordial and political interests, and shun the winner-takes-all syndrome by pursuing ethno-religious inclusivity, and a strong, virile, united, progressive, prosperous, equitable and just democratic nation
The senators-elect also queried how an average Igbo man would feel if they were to be handed this humiliation as the president-elect begins his tenure bearing in mind that the South East has been denied the chance of producing the president of Nigeria since 1966.
According to them, the South-South has produced president for six years, and also had deputy senate president in the outgoing administration; adding that the only zone in the south that has not been favoured is the Southeast.
Part of the communique reads,
"The South West has president, the North East has vice president.
"Only the least position at the moment that can assuage the Southeast is the chance to be the president of the 10th Senate.
"On this note, we collectively resolve to support the Southeast aspirants of the APC. They remain committed and have since expanded negotiations with other well-meaning Senators-elect to rally round the Southeast to ensure that justice, fairness, and unity of the country prevail.
"We remain hopeful that together, we shall achieve a harmonious 10th Senate, and deepen democracy, fairness, and the unity of our dear country."
The senators, who attended the meeting and signed the communique include: Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Osita Izunaso, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Dr. Patrick Ifeanyi Ubah, Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Ezenwa Oyewuchi, Senator Tony Nwoye, Senator PC Ndubueze, Senator Okey Ezea, Senator Kelvin Chukwu and Senator Osita Ngwu.
APC officially announces nominees for senate president, speaker, other positions
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has officially announced Senator Godswill Akpabio as its nominee for the position of the 10th Senate President.
Also, Abbas Tajudeen, a ranking member of the House of Representatives from Kaduna state, was nominated for the position of Speaker of the next House of Reps.
The ruling party still has the highest number of lawmakers in the 10th national assembly.
Source: Legit.ng
