South-South Asks For Senate Presidency

The South- South geo-political zone of Nigeria has demanded that the position of the Senate President of Nigeria in the 9^th National Assembly should come from the zone.

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the zone made the demand in a congratulatory message to President Muhammadu Buhari on his victory in the February 23 presidential election.

Recall that the South East region is also demanding the position of the senate president. National Chairman of the United People’s Party (UPP), Chief Chekwas Okorie, former executive chairman, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Dr. Sam Amadi, and former commissioner for Information in Imo State, Nze Elvis Agukwe, had in separate interviews recently, said zoning of the senate presidency to the South East would be a soothing balm to the frayed nerves of the people of the region.

The duo maintained that such action would be a sure way of bringing the region back to the fold and diffuse feelings of marginalisation and exclusion by the present administration.

APC vice-chairman South-South, Ntufam Etta, who signed a statement containing the demand, gave reasons the zone deserves the position.

“Our zone has and will continue to play pivotal roles in order to help our dear country achieve and realise all its potential.

“The leadership of our great party in the zone has done extreme hard work towards stabilising the polity to ensure that business thrives in the region, and also informing our youths that development can only thrive in an atmosphere of peace.

“We appreciate all the leaders of the zone and we are grateful that our youths have reciprocated the good gesture of Mr President by embracing peace as a panacea for continuous development of our region in particular and the country in general. Gone are the days when youths’ restiveness will impede development.

“We recall that when our son, Senator Joseph Wayas, held sway as Senate President, he did our zone and the country very proud. During his tenure, we saw a harmonious working relationship between the executive, legislature and the judiciary; and the benefit at this was for all Nigerians.

“Therefore, a Senate President from the South- South zone will stabilise the polity, focus on its statutory role of making laws. Furthermore, a Senate President from the region will avoid unnecessary clashes with the executive as has been witnessed in the recent past,” Etta said.