Senate President, Speaker Should Be Zoned to Southeast and Northwest for National Unity, Says APC Chieftain
- APC chieftain Obidike Chukwuebuka said the Senate president and Speaker of the 10th National Assembly should come from the Southeast and Northwest
- Chukwuebuka said the two zones should be considered for the principal seats in the interest of national unity
- Nevertheless, the APC chieftain admitted that the seats could also go to other zones apart from the southwest and the northeast where the president-elect and the vice-president-elect come from
FCT, Abuja - Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, there have been arguments about which zone should produce the next president of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Many interested principal lawmakers in the National Assembly have been lobbying their colleagues and other key stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Source: Facebook
Among them is the current Chief Whip of the Senate, Orji Uzor Kalu, who said it is "his turn" to become the Senate president.
Though he's going to the National Assembly for the first time, the outgoing governor of Ebonyi state, David Umahi, is also interested in the Senate presidency seat.
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At the House of Reps level, the deputy speaker of the Green Chamber, Ahmed Wase, is set to be interested in succeeding the current Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila.
How the Senate president, Speaker positions should be zoned - Obidike
Commenting on the development, an APC chieftain, Obidike Chukwuebuka, advised that the office of the Senate President should be zoned to the southeast while the Speaker allotted to the northwest.
His words:
”The two regions need a sense of belonging in the Government. Although, North-central, Northwest, Southeast and South-south all have equal chances. Only the northeast and southwest are out because of the President and Vice President.
“On Senate President, Ahmed Lawan is out of the equation because the Vice President is from his zone, then God’swill Akpabio coming from south-south may argue that he delivered more to APC than southeast did. If you look at value addition to the electoral process, it may stand.
“However, the interest of the President has a very big role to play. Asiwaju may decide that looking at the mood of the nation and the agitation of the southeast that they’re being alienated, he may choose to act in tune with the mood of the people to give it to the southeast in the interest of the nation. However, that’s emotional and he wouldn’t want to be emotional in politics.
"So, what I feel is that any of the four geo-political zones that are remaining have very equal chances of getting the position. Well, whichever place that takes the Senate President automatically reverses where the Speaker is going. If southeast or south-south takes it, then it’s open to either northwest or north-central. Then if any of the north-central or west takes the Senate President the speaker will come to either southeast or south-south.
“Asiwaju is not a docile politician so I’m sure, he’ll have his interest. Aside from emotions, you can’t just say you’ll give it to the east because they contested for President and they didn’t win. That’s not politics. However, if you want to consider the interest of national unity that may be a reason to palliate them which Asiwaju as a loving father may want to act in that regard but then, that’s not politics.
The truth is that any of those four geopolitical zones with the exception of northeast and southwest which is where the President and Vice President came have chances to become either the Senate President or the Speaker.”
Senator Orji Kalu speaks on what he will do if Tinubu asks him to drop Senate Presidency bid
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Senator Kalu expressed readiness to withdraw from the presidential race of the 10th National Assembly if the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu, tells him to step down.
The Chief Whip of the Senate stated this on Tuesday, March 28, while briefing newsmen after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari over his Senate Presidency ambition.
Senator Kalu said he informed President Buhari of his intention to become the next Senate President.
Source: Legit.ng
