Senate presidency: Northern APC senators push for North Central

From Fred Itua, Abuja

The Almagamation of the All Progressives Congress Northern Forums in Nigeria, has called on the National Working Committee (NWC) of the party to consider the North Central geopolitical zone for the position of the Deputy President of the 10th National Assembly.

The pressure groups said since the Senate and Deputy Senate President positions must be shared between the North and the South, the North Central stood a better chance to produce a Presiding Officer of the red chamber.

Coordinator of the Coalition, Habibu Salau, made the appeal in a statement made available to newsmen in Abuja on Monday.

He said Senator Sani Musa, who is a ranking lawmaker from the North Central geopolitical zone is eminently qualified to be elected either as the Senate President or Deputy.

“If the leadership of the All Progressives Congress decided to zone the position to the South, the deputy Senate President should automatically go to the North Central.

“In fairness, the North Central deserves to produce the next Senate President or Deputy because of the impressive performance of the APC in the zone in the last election going by the numbers of APC senators produced from different geopolitical zones.

“For instance, the South West produced 15 out of 18; South South had seven out of 18; South East with six out of 15; North Central got 10 out of 19; North East, nine out of 18 and North West, eight out of 21.

“Aside from party politics, it is obvious that the South West and North Central Senators–Elect would determine the next presiding officers of the red chamber of the National Assembly.

“The APC National working committee should therefore consider all these factors before embarking on the zoning arrangements for the next leadership of the 10th Senate,” he said.