A group under the aegis of Concern Political Leaders on Thursday in Abuja advanced reasons why a northerner must emerge President of the 10th Nigerian Senate.
The group made up of stakeholders across political parties, groups and associations admonished contenders for the position of Senate President from the southern part of the country to step down for a northern aspirant.
According to the group, the most suitable candidate among the contenders is the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari.
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Addressing a press conference in Abuja on behalf of the group, two times presidential candidate of the Green Party, Charles Eke said that the northern region cannot be dispensed with in the political equation of Nigeria. He premised this on the north having secured about 80 per cent of the over eight million votes scored by President Bola Tinubu to win the 2023 presidential election.
“It is not rocket science to understand that Nigeria is seriously divided. The magnitude of mistrust and fear has reached its crescendo. The 2023 election has gone, the fallout has been very troubling and there remains the question of national acceptance with over 15 million Nigerian voters against our President, and our President was able to ganner 8 million plus votes with over 80% coming from the Northern states.
“The northern states have made an uncommon sacrifice to keep Nigeria one, the task of keeping Nigeria requires sacrifices from all Nigerians and indeed all geo-political zones so that we can have a true sense of nationhood.
“Just before the 2015 general election, some of our northern brothers made a compelling case that the north deserved to complete the lost time of the Late President Yar’ Adua whose death brought in Jonathan who spent a little over 5 years as President.
“However in 2023, under a different circumstance, the Northern Leadership and the Northern state governors declared their total support for the emergence of a southern Presidential candidate for the ruling APC “
‘Banana Peels’
The Concern Political Leaders warned President Tinubu to avoid banana peels by not listening to those pressurizing him to back a southern senate president.
“We will advise those who are pushing the executive arm to use Presidential powers to install a southern Senate President to restrain themselves before they destroy whatever goodwill our President could enjoy from the Northern part of Nigeria.
“This country needs maturity and statesmen to steer the project Nigeria. We can not push the government to take false steps because our selfish interests can plunge the country into a destructive pathway.
“Based on the foregoing, we the members of the various political parties’ leadership are calling on all Southern people vying for the office of the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly to step down and give support to the Northern candidates for the peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians,” the group said.
Narrowing down on Yari, the body said
the Nigerian Project requires the 3cs;
Connection, Commitment and Collectiveness which Mr Yari possesses.
“As we speak among the contenders from the North, the former Governor of Zamfara State stands out. He has sterling qualities. He has strong connections across the 36 states and understands the nuances of the nation” the group said.
Emmanuel Ukoh
