Northern Senators, Ahmed Lawan, Ali Ndume, Yari Others Fume
There are strong indications that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC would be enmeshed in crisis as party members are currently at daggers drawn over which region that would produce the next Senate President.
Though an unwritten rule states that hierarchy of power would be evenly distributed among the geo political zones in order to create a sense inclusiveness in governance.
Under this arrangement, the Senate President would be zoned to the South East or South South. But feelers within the APC showed that this gentlemanly agreement may be impracticable as party members irrespective of their region appear to flagrantly disregard the arrangement with their agitation to grab the Senate Presidency.
The New Diplomat has gathered that already no fewer that four Senators of Northern extraction have openly expressed their interest for the job of the Senate presidency.
This is against the clamour for the South-East be allowed to produce the Senate president for the oncoming 10th National Assembly.
Prior to this moment, party chieftains in the South-South and South-East had called for the zoning of the senate presidency to their regions in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice as it would create a sense of belonging in view of the Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket adopted by the party.
However, despite this glaring imbalance in power equation, some Northern senators have expressed their interest for the position.
The New Diplomat investigations listed northern Senators who made bold to make public their interests are: Senators Jibrin Barau (Kano Central), Sani Musa (Niger East), Abdul’Aziz Yari (Zamfara West), incumbent Senate President, Ahmed Lawan(Yobe North) among others underway.
Speaking on the issue, the Senator representing Borno South, Senator Ali Ndume, who has also expressed interest in the position, said he is in the race for the Senate President job because he believes he is the most competent.
He added that zoning should not be a tool in electing the next Senate President but rather the guiding rule should be based on equity, fairness and justice.
In his words, “The issue should be about fairness, equity and justice. Zoning is a word that is being used to undermine competence but fairness, equity and justice are what the Constitution preaches and it is the right thing to do.
“The constitution is clear that in the distribution of resources, there must be fairness and inclusiveness to ensure an even distribution so that no position or resources is concentrated in one zone, tribe, religion and so on.
“I want you to know that I am not vying for this position out of desperation or because I am the best but I am looking out for the best for the institution.
“When defining the best, you have to look at competence, experience, position and pedigree of the person involved.
“I have already thrown in my hat into the ring but whatever the party and my colleagues feel should be the consideration. I am not going to vote for myself.
“That is why I have put my agenda out there for my colleagues to judge and vote accordingly, That is why I am not comfortable with processes based on trivialities.
“If they come up with the arrangement, if it’s fair then why not but if it is not, then that is going to be another thing.”
Also, the National Vice Chairman of the APC (North-West), Malam Salihu Lukman and the party’s Director of Publicity, on Monday, Bala Ibrahim, called on the northern senators contesting the Senate presidency to step down.
According to Lukman, it was compelling for the ruling party to zone the prestigious office to either the South-South or South-East for national unity.
The APC chieftain made the appeal in a statement issued in Abuja, titled, ‘Cash-and-Carry contest for leadership of 10th National Assembly.’
The statement reads, “It is therefore very compelling that the Senate President should come from either the South-South or South-East. I want to specifically note that two respected Senators-elect from North-West have made public declarations about their aspirations for the position of Senate President. These are His Excellency Abdulaziz Yari and Senator Barau Jibrin.
“Now that power has shifted to the Southern part of the country, as a region, we equally have the responsibility to regulate the conduct of all our Senators-elect from the North-West, including the two Senators-elect Abdulaziz Yari and Barau Jibrin to withdraw their aspiration for the Senate President.
“All party leaders from North-West must prevail on these leaders to in the overall interest of the unity and peaceful coexistence of the country withdraw their aspirations to contest the position of Senate President for the 10th Senate. At the most, they should aspire for the position of Majority Leader of the Senate in line with the 1999 zoning formula in the Senate.”
However, another chieftain of the APC, Adamu Garba has called on the leadership of the Senate to zone its presidency position to the North West.
According to him, “South-South & the South-East can go for deputy positions because of their weak performance in the last election”.
He also endorsed Senator Barau Jibrin from North West as the best fit for the position.
In his words, “The Red Chamber has been more organized than it has ever been since 1999 because there has been proper structure of working relationships with the executive.
“And if we’ve this mature leadership that drives this success, why can’t we allow Sen. Barau Jibrin to be able to drive the Office of the Senate President, so that we can have a coordinated and better organized and responsible government that meets the needs and yearnings of Nigerians.
“That’s why I believe that Sen. Barau Jibrin is the most qualified, especially looking at his personal antecedents in public service, and his activities in the Senate as the highest-ranking member.
“Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu gave meagerly Only 8000 votes, but had 40 something thousand votes to himself, in the same election, same people, the same procedure, the same INEC, the same BVAS, in an election held on the same day, within the same state. Now how do you draw such a comparison?
“If you go to Sen. Godswill Akpabio, from the South South, there are reports from several quarters that Senator Godswill Akpabio is nursing the intention of dropping his ambition for a ministerial position.”
