From Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
A pressure group, the Northern Business Roundtable has commended the All Progressives Congress ( APC) for accepting to review its decision on the zoning of presiding officers positions in the 10th assembly.
Spokesman of the group, Larai Kolo, who spoke at a press briefing, in Abuja, faulted the endorsement of former Akwa Ibom governor, Godswill Akpabio, as the APC preferred candidate as APC preferred candidate for the Senate Presidency. Kolo noted that North West ought to produce the next Senate President, owing to its contribution to the party in the 2023 polls.
Consequently, she charged senators-elect to rally round the former governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari to become the Senate President, stating that he is eminently qualified for the office.
According to her, “Competence, character, and pedigree should determine positions, and Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Zamfara West Senator- elect has what it takes to be the country’s next Senate President. He is well known and has done very well.
“We advise that every Senator-elect should rally around Yari, the preferred candidate among aspirants jostling for the position of the Senate President so that there will be balance in the country,”
Kolo added the people of ” North-West were taken aback and very surprised by the purported zoning announcement and the thought that such could be contemplated, knowing that we bring the highest number of votes to the table during elections.
“To whom much is given, much is also expected. The North-West in the current dispensation and the last presidential election gave the highest votes. Apart from this, it is noteworthy that the APC Governors from the North West led the front to demand that the Presidency be zoned to the South.
“With this alone, common sense should prevail that after the presidency has been zoned and delivered to the South, the Vice-President to the North-East, the next position should go to the North-West..”