- Ndoma-Egba:Why S/East Deserves Senate Presidency
By Charles Adingupu
As build up to the 10th National Assembly gathers momentum, more lawmakers from the different geo political zones continue to throw their hats to the ring, former Senate leader and one time Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC}, Senator Victor Ndoma Egba (SAN) has cautioned Lawmakers from the north against nursing ambition in vying for the seat of the Senate President with their colleagues from the South East as it would scuttle the historic political equilibrium.
“The North should not contest for the Senate President even though they can since it is not a matter of might but of justice and fairness. So, the North should excuse themselves from the race,” he said.
The three-term Senator who represented Cross River Central Senatorial district from 2003-2015, advised lawmakers of the 10th National Assembly to kowtow to historical and political precedence of electing the Senate President.
He posited that during the President Obasanjo’s era, the seat of the Senate President was exclusively preserved for the South Easterners even when the Executive was in imposing and deposing Senate President at their whims.
“All of them were from the South East, Evans Ewerem, Dr. Chuba OKadigbo, Adolphus Wabara Anyim , Pius Anyim and Ken Nnamani. None of the lawmakers from other zones threw their hats in the ring because it was believed to be their political rights,” he stated.
Ndoma-Egba who expressed optimism that the emerging 10th National Assembly would not be a rubber stamp as it would be difficult for the ruling All Progress Congress, APC to get a two third majority in any constitutional debate, adding that they, APC senate members need to work hard.
His words: “as at the last time I checked, APC has a total of 57 Senators as it requires at least 70 Senators to form two third majority. So, when constitutional issues that depend on the numerical strength of the party, it would not be easy for the APC members in the House. It’s no longer the main opposition of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as other political parties have truly registered their presence in the Upper Legislative Chambers.”
He dismissed media report that he was drumming support for the outgoing Ebonyi state Governor, Dave Umahi who won the senatorial seat of his zone in the just concluded general elections.
“Dave Umahi is just an acquaintance and not my friend. We have met once in an Airline. We exchanged pleasantries and that was all. But I know Senator Osita Izunaso and Orji Uzor Kalu are both experienced senators and would do a good job as the next Senate President if either of them is elected he enthused.
The former NDDC Chairman also insisted that the next Speaker of the House of Representative even though he would be from the north must be a northern Christian, adding that this arrangement would balance the Muslim Muslim tickets of the elected President and his Vice.
