South East Snubbed Again As APC Concedes Dep. Senate President To S/South

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may have snubbed Nigeria’s South-East again as the hopes of senators-elect from the region to clinch the position of Deputy Senate President were dashed on Monday, June 10, 2019.

Some APC Senators-elect from the South East had been hoping and calling on the party to zone its principal offices in the 9th Senate equally.

Some of the South East lawmakers-elect had specifically urged the APC to zone the Deputy Senate President office to the region since the ruling party had earlier zoned the Senate President position to the North East after announcing that it had adopted the immediate past Senate Leader, Ahmed Lawan, who represents Yobe North Constituency of Yobe State, for the seat.

But senators-elect in the APC from the South East may have been shocked after the ruling party on Monday zoned the deputy Senate President office to the South-South ahead of tomorrow’s inauguration of the 9th National Assembly.

The National Working Committee of the party announced today that it has formally adopted Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who represents Delta Central senatorial district, for the position of the Deputy Senate President of the 9th National Assembly.

This development came despite earlier threats by a chieftain and senator-elect of the APC, Orji Uzor Kalu, to move against the party if it fails to zone the office to the South East.

Kalu had said in March: “Well, I am a very loyal party member, the party has zoned it (Senate President) to the North East and I am bound to respect the party’s will and the second position is what we are not going to allow for the party. As far as I am concerned, in the south east, I am going to run openly on the floor of the House for the Senate President.

He threatened that, “I am not going to listen to the party, neither will I listen to anybody. Nobody who is going to be the Deputy Senate President is more loyal than I am to the party. I have suffered for the party, and I want the party to respect the will of every other person and I am committed to democracy.”

The former Abia governor had warned that if the ruling party should pay deaf ears to South East’s request for the Deputy Senate President office, “I will also contest for the Senate President on the floor of the House. I will join the race because it is going to be a shopping matter. I can shop than any other person they are putting there. I have the capacity and capability to shop because the whole thing will be shopping on the floor of the House. If the party continues this way, I will run for the Senate Presidency,” the former governor had said.

It remains uncertain as at now whether or not the APC reached an agreement with senators from the South East before adopting Omo-Agege as its candidate for the position of the Deputy Senate President. Otherwise, the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly on Tuesday may spring up surprises for the APC as aggrieved members of the party may move against the ruling party during the election of principal officers for the 9th Senate.

This is coupled with the fact that a leading aspirant for the Senate Presidency in the APC, Ali Ndume, has remained adamant to respect his party’s position and drop his ambition to be president of the upper legislative chamber.