10th Senate: Ex-APC spokesman begs Northern senators-elect to support Akpabio

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10th Senate: Ex-APC spokesman begs Northern senators-elect to support Akpabio

Former Acting National Publicity Secretary of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Hon. Yekini Nabena, said recent developments in the polity ahead of Tuesday’s election of presiding officers of the 10th National Assembly has further given credence as to why the South South geo-political zone should produce the next Senate President.

This was as the Good Governance Support Group for Godswill Obot Akpabio has asked Senators-elect in the APC to respect party supremacy in their choice of presiding officers.

Leaders of the group, Dr John Harry, Hon. Patty Etete and Senator Clever Ikisikpo gave the charge at a news conference Monday in Abuja.

The group which is essentially made up of diverse Nigerians including former federal lawmakers, noted that of all the aspirants, the only person who has done extensive consultations and still ongoing is Senator Akpabio.

“Even as we thank our great party for zoning the office to the South South of Nigeria and do implore all APC elected Senators to respect party supremacy in this endeavor”, said Dr Harry.

Etete on his part dismissed concerns that Akpabio had not reached out to senators-elect from his South South zone, saying at the inaugural meeting of the group, there were at least seven senators from the area.

He said; “When we had our first meeting, there were at least five to seven senators from the South South. Akpabio started the consultations from home.

“We have a forum of ex -legislators led by former deputy Speaker, Babangida Nguroje. Twenty Six of our former colleagues are now senators and 10 are Senators-elect. We have reached out to them on behalf of Akpabio”.

Ikisikpo said as a member of the former Senators’ Forum, he and his colleagues have embarked on an individual reach-out to senators-elect to ensure that Akpabio emerges their president on Tuesday.

“The issue is not calling for a meeting of all Senators-elect from the South South. I am from Bayelsa and I can authoritatively tell you that Bayelsa senators are intact. Talking to individuals one by one is better than gathering people and talking to them.

“I was in the House of Reps twice and I know how Masari, Ette and Bankole became speakers. I went to the Senate and I know how David Mark became Senate President but the terrain of politics today has changed and we have to tag along.

“I want to draw you back to a group known as former Senators of the Federal Republic of Nigeria led by Senator Lado Bashir. Membership cuts across all states of the Federation and we have individually been reaching out to individual Senators-elect”, said Sen. Ikisikpo.

Same faith ticket

On his part, Nabena said there was need to ensure religious balancing in the leadership structure of the National Assembly.

The former APC spokesman was reacting to the intervention by President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima on Sunday evening which led to the withdrawal from the race, two major contenders for the position of Speaker in the 10th Assembly.

At the said meeting, Hon. Muktar Betara Aliyu from the North East and Hon. Yusuf Gagdi from the North Central, stepped down from the race for the Speakership of the 10th Assembly and endorsed the preferred candidate of the party from the North West, Hon. Tajuddeen Abbas.

Reacting to the development on Monday in Abuja, Nabena said it has become clearer that the North can not have both the Vice President, the Speaker, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF and the Senate President at the same time.

According to the Bayelsa-born politician, the issue of Muslim-Muslim ticket of the President and the Vice President is another genuine factor that should be considered in rallying support for the only candidate from the South-south, Senator Godswill Akpabio as the next Senate President because Nigeria is a secular state.

The APC chieftain said; “For the sake of equity, justice and fairness, I will appeal to all the Senators-elect to rally round Akpabio to emerge the next President.

“This has become necessary because the two major contenders in the race for the position of Speaker have withdrawn and declared their support for Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, which means that the road is almost clear for the emergence of another Muslim from the North as number four citizen.

“Therefore, there is need for religious balancing in government and for the fact that only the South South will be left out of the equation if the position of Senate President eludes the region, hence the more reason Senators-elect should rally support for Senator Godswill Akpabio as the next Senate President.

“As it stands today, the South West has produced the President, the North-east has the Vice President, the North-west is about to produce the Speaker, (Note that the three of them are Muslims), the North Central has the SGF and the South East to produce the Deputy Speaker. So, where is the South South?,” he queried.

The APC chieftain also begged the North “to forgive Senator Akpabio if he has done anything wrong in the past for the sake of national unity and religious harmony by allowing the former Akwa Ibom Governor to emerge the next Senate President.”