Three aggrieved All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators have petitioned the party’s secretariat over the adoption of consensus candidates for the Senate Presidency of the 10th National Assembly.
The Senators included Sen. Abdulaziz Yari (APC-Zamfara), Sen. Sani Musa (APC-Niger) and Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu(APC-Abia).
They made their position known at a meeting with the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu and members of the party’s National Working Committee, NWC in reaction to the NWC’s decision to micro-zone the positions of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President to certain individuals.
Speaking at the meeting Senator Yari said the zoning arrangement was unacceptable and must be reviewed.
Senator Yari further explained that the North gave more votes to the President elect than the South therefore the Senate President should come from the North.
“The president elect got 63.4 percent of the northern extraction. Where he came from the south, he got 36.6 percent. Atiku Abubakar from Northern Nigeria got 68.8 percent of the total vote and he got from the Southern Nigeria 33.2 percent. So, now if there is anyone who can say we own APC; we own the president elect in the Northern Nigeria. Without undermining any part of the country. They have given their best and we can understand their situation but justice need to be done. We should not be blinded that the power of anyone is not absolute but only God is absolute. We should not look at these four years as 20 years and then we are going into another election. We are going back to next election; we should underline that we are elected and we are going to be looking for another election. So Whatever decision you are going to take we are expecting you as a friend that work with the President to tell him not to go there. We don’t need a rocket science to explain why you can defend what you are trying to do is for the betterment of the APC, and for the betterment of the president” Yari said.
Senator Yari appealed to the APC leaders to give everyone a fair play rather than foisting a particular person on them.
“We are expecting that you give us at least a fair play. Now if you look at the calculation of what we have in the Senate is not a magic we are thinking of because if care is not taking if we play the way you presented to us is not acceptable.
“If we from the North take another decision, it will not be good to all of us and it will become history which we don’t want that to happen . And only if we do justice that will protect that from happening but we should all pick our pen today and write it which is 11th May. Anything from the contrary walahi the Northern Nigeria will take another decision” Yari said.
Speaking for the North-Central region, Senator Sani Musa from Niger state said the region should have been given the Deputy Senate President.
He further bemoaned the fact that adequate consultation was not done before a decision was made and asked the APC National Chairman to reverse the zoning decision.
“As leader of the North Central, we had a caucus meeting before the decision was taken and after it was taken. The caucus agreed that I should make my declaration known to Nigerians. We looked at the secularity of the country and our caucus now said we should go for the deputy senate president. Your statement was a blow to us and we felt are we really part of this country? Because when you are even talking about the North, we have always been at the receiving end.
“This injustice needs to be corrected. We have 5 of six Govs. 11 of 19 senators.
“We have Six geopolitical zones. The president is from Southwest, we have vice president for Northeast. We have the office of Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker. It is only fair to throw this out to the other four geopolitical zones” Sani said.
In response, the APC National Chairman admitted to not carrying out adequate consultation before making a decision.
He promised that their concerns will be reviewed and a decision made.
“What we will not do today from what we have received from you is to start to open any discussion with you at this sitting as to how what you heard got to be what you heard.
“Yes there was no sufficient or adequate consultations with you who are contesting and it is simple principle of democracy that you get views and opinions. But, the circumstances that we found ourselves in after the elections frustrated our desire.
“We must as democrats open up. So when NWC was very clear, yes we have received with respect, the outcome of the meeting with party leaders, comprising leadership of the Senate, the House of Representatives and the party, the NWC. We will go back to the drawing board. We owe our party that duty to take a look whether what was done can not be changed; what was done needs some changes or reviews. We will take a look at what necessary compelled us to do by the grace of God. Hold the fire until the last word is heard from us.
“On the issue of the north-central, I remain tongue tied talking about north-central. Your argument is extremely plausible. I assure you, we will take a look at along what has been given to the public” Adamu said.
Recall that the APC NWC had nominated some individuals from some geopolitical zones to be supported by the other APC Lawmakers to emerge as the principal officers of the 10th National Assembly when it is inaugurated in June.
The APC Nomination is as follows;
SENATE:
1. Senate President – South South Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom).
2. Deputy Senate President – North West-Senator Barau Jubrin (Kano).
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
3. Speaker. House of Representatives North West-Hon. Abass Tajudeen (Kaduna)
4. Deputy Speaker South East-Hon. Ben Kalu (Abia)” the statement revealed.
N.O
