10th Senate President: South-East Senators against Akpabio's presidency

The South-East Senate caucus cautioned the President-elect, Bola Tinubu and the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against zoning the position of the Senate President away from the South East.

This was contained in a communique issued to the press several hours after meeting at the Maitama residence of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, YPP, representing Anambra South Senatorial District.

They rejected the zoning of the Senate President to the South-South, saying that since the South East was denied the presidency by the two major political parties, the zone should be allowed to produce the 10th NASS Senate President.

Lobbying for who becomes the leader of the 10th Senate has dominated the trends as the inauguration of Bola Tinubu on May 29 approaches. Several names have been thrown into the fray, however, Chief Godswill Akpabio, former Minister for Niger Delta Affairs has emerged strongly to assume the position.

A dramatic twist played out on Sunday in Abuja as the South-East Senate caucus cautioned the President-elect, Bola Tinubu and the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, over the zoning of the position of Senate President.

Part of the Communique read: “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.”

Expressing anger at the antics of those around the President-elect, the caucus insisted that it would serve justice to the people of the South-East, particularly as the zone has been blessed with ranking Senators-elect, Including members of the APC.

The lawmakers said ranking Senators from the South-East to the 10th Senate have capacity, competence and followership to lead, hence, the ruling party should remember its own creed, which is the principle of natural justice and equity.

“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 opportunity to exercise their fundamental and constitutional rights during the APC Presidential Primaries.

“That there would be grave implications of zoning and endorsing a candidate from the South-South without any regard for the South-East as it could snowball into restiveness,” the caucus stated.

They urged the President-elect to be sensitive to the times in Nigeria and ensure the country continues to thrive on the tripod of Nigeria (Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba) and the geopolitical zones.