The battle for the Senate presidency has intensified as South-East senators have voiced concern about an alleged attempt to sideline their region.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that 11 out of the 15 South-East senators have rejected the reported endorsement of Godswill Akpabio and called out President-elect Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) for any potential acts of injustice.
The 11 senators, who issued a communique after a several-hour-long meeting at the Maitama residence of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (YPP) of Anambra South, strongly opposed the marginalisation of their zone.
They argued that since the South-East was denied a presidential ticket from any of the two major political parties in the February 2023 general election, the Senate presidency should be given to the region to ensure fairness and justice.
The communique reads: “We have observed with dismay the antics of persons with vested selfish Interests who have planted themselves around the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and have vowed to shut out the South East from the Senate Presidency of the 10th Senate.
“Beyond ethnic and religious considerations, in the forthcoming 10th Senate, the Southeast has been 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, it becomes imperative that the All Progressives Congress upholds the Principle of natural Justice and equity which it preaches founded on reasons and zone the seat of Senate President to the South East region.
“That the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should extend the same democratic opportunity he received from the outgoing administration which gave all aspirants equal an opportunity to exercise their fundamental and constitutional rights during the APC Presidential Primaries. He should be conscious of the grave implications of zoning and endorsing a candidate from the South-South without any regard for the Southeast, such move will no doubt serve as a recipe for Injustice which will culminate to restiveness.
“We implore the President-elect to be sensitive to the times in Nigeria and ensure the country continues to thrive on the party of equity, unity and fairness to the tripod of Nigeria (Hausa Igbo Yoruba) and the geopolitical zones.
“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 low number of votes from the Southeast. The incoming Administration of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu must correct this anomaly by ensuring that the Southeast is given the opportunity to produce the next Senate President.
“With the side-lining of the Southeast from producing the Presidential candidates of the major political parties before the general elections, the only means through which the zone can be compensated and given a sense of belonging is for the zone to produce the next Senate President as this will restore the confidence of the people from the South-east and South-south geo-political zones and indeed all Nigerians in the unity of the country.
“The APC must rise above primordial and political interest and shun the winner-takes-all syndrome and pursue ethnoreligious inclusivity and a strong, virile, united, progressive, prosperous, equitable and just democratic nation.
“Mr President-elect, how would an average Igbo man feel after he sees evidence of total discrimination? The South East has been denied the chance of producing the president of Nigeria since 1966. The South South has produced President for six years and also had Deputy Senate President In the outgoing administration. The only zone in the South that has not been favoured is the South East.
“The outcry of marginalization by the South East and the entire Igbo should be addressed by your incoming administration rather than aggravating it. The South West has President, the North East has Vice President. It is only just that the least position at the moment that can assuage the South East is given the chance to be the President of the 10th Senate.
“On this note we have collectively resolved to support South East aspirants of the APC. We remain committed and have since expanded negotiations with other well-meaning Senators-elect to rally round the South East to ensure that justice, fairness and unity of the country prevails”.
Senators Orji Uzor Kalu, Enyinnaya Abaribe, Victor Umeh, and Osita Izunaso were among the senators present at the meeting.
Other senators in attendance were Ezenwa Oyewuchi, Tony Nwoye, PC Ndubueze, Okey Ezea, Kelvin Chukwu, and Osita Ngwu. The communique was read by Senator Ifeanyi Ubah.
It is worth noting that all elected senators from Ebonyi State and Senator Darlington Nwokocha of Abia State (Labour Party) were not among the signatories of the communique.
This newspaper earlier reported that former Senate Leader Senator Ali Ndume, Chairman of Senate Appropriation Committee Senator Jubrin Barau, and outgoing Governor of Ebonyi State Dave Umahi announced that they had agreed upon a consensus candidate in the interest of peace and national interest.
The trio also revealed that the meeting had resolved to present Barau as the Deputy President of the next National Assembly.
