Group Kicks against Election of Another Muslim as Senate President

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

Ahead of the June 13 inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, a group known as The Natives, has kicked against the election of another Muslim as the next Senate President.

The leader of the group,  Smart Edwards, while addressing a press conference yesterday  in Abuja called on senators-elect  across party lines to key into the wisdom of President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)  to  promote peace, ensure inclusion and national unity  that would endear the parliament to the Nigerian people.

He urged senators -elect  to dissociate themselves from any political, financial and insensitive approach or act that would promote a Muslim for the office of the Senate President.

Edwards said: “We cannot toy with the expensive portray of acts that can widen the divide of the people post-elections, while it is politically permissible, we persuade the 10th Assembly to dissociate themselves from any political, financial and insensitive approach or act that will promote a Muslim for the Office of the Senate President for this is a display of national sabotage.”

He noted that the plethora of disruptions and carry-over of pre-election bitterness, resistance and echoes from the people was a clear indication that no group whatsoever should be seen fanning the flags of discord in the name of financial war chest.

To this end, the group said no to the ambition of Senator Abdulaziz Yari, while appealing to him  to shelve this ambition for all and become the hero.

It added: “Senator Godswill Akpabio/Barau ticket represents the consideration of the mood of the country, an evidence of healing rather than the braggadocios display of strength or the coronation of religious dominance.”

It noted that Akpabio remained one of finest candidates to steer the leadership of the Senate in the 10th Assembly among all the aspirants who have shown interest

The group, therefore, called on new lawmakers and returning ones to support the choice of Akpabio and Senator  Jibrin Barau as ratified by  the ruling APC.

Meanwhile, the Christian Organisations of Nigeria (CON) has thrown its weight behind the ambition of the former Governor of Zamfara state to emerge the President of the 10th Senate.

Addressing a joint conference yesterday in Abuja, the President General of the Christian body, Apostle Paul Nwokoro, the Secretary General, Dr. Mathew Arowolo and the Public Relations Officer, Rev. Yusuf Musa, called on the Senators-elect to discountenance those they described as “enemies of democracy”  trying to use politics of divide-and-rule to discourage Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Senators-elect from voting Yari as the next Senate President.

The group stressed that the 10th Senate was not a place where cheap religious sentiments could fly, hence, several propaganda machinery deployed to hoodwink Senators-elect into supporting a failed project that was dead on arrival.

Against this background, the group called on the senators-elect to jettison endorsements, insisting that Nigeria was a common patrimony and everyone must  rise up to endorse candidates who have not sold their souls.

The group maintained that the Senate was where Nigeria must speak as one united and indivisible entity, hence, every religious, ethnic and racial divisions must be highly discouraged.

It stated: “CON after a critical assessment of all the contestants irrespective of their religious divide has chosen to endorse H.E SEN. Abdul’aziz Yari because he is the most capable.

“It’s our candid opinion that the leadership of the APC should allow the North West Zone to provide the post of the Senate President in view of the fact that the zone gave more than 30 per cent of the winning votes for President Bola Tinubu during the election.”

The christian group said it was  therefore imperative to state that it had critically examined the credentials of all the candidates being presented for the job, particularly from the North-west before arriving at the conclusion that Yari was most suitable to be the next President of the Nigerian Senate.