Group Says South-east Senate Presidency Will Check Obi’s Phenomenon, IPOB Agitation

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

A pressure group, Concern Nigerians for Sustainable Democracy (CNSD) has said the emergence of the 10th Senate President from the South-east geopolitical zone would drastically dilute the Peter Obi’s phenomenon in the region.

The Convener/Coordinator of the group, Dr. Amps Gizo, stated this at a news conference in Abuja, yesterday.

Gizo also added that peace would be achieved in the South-east because the Senate President from the zone would facilitate an end to the agitation by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network.

The group noted that the South-east has two All Progressives Congress (APC) governors from Imo and Ebonyi states, while the latter also has an APC governor-elect

Gizo said the South-east geopolitical zone stood a better chance of producing the next Senate President unlike the South-south region because the latter produced only an APC governor-elect.

Justifying the need to support a South-east Senate Presidency, Gizo said the region produced six APC senators-elect for the 10th National Assembly from five states, while the south-south has six APC senators-elect from six states.

He said, “From 1999 till date, the south-south has produced vice-president and president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in the person of President Goodluck Jonathan, none from south-east

“South-south has produced two APC National Chairmen in the persons of Chief John Oyegun and Adams Oshiomhole, none from south-east

“The south-south has produced also the National Secretary of APC in the person of Senator John Akpan Udodeghe. The south- south has produced Senate Majority Leader in the person of Senator Victor Ndoma Egba

“Currently, the south-south has the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omeagege.

“The South-east produced the Senate President in 1999 under Obasanjo and nothing more till date. Since then, the south-east has not produced any other top leadership under APC.

“Presently, there is need to dilute the Peter Obi phenomenon in the south-east.”

Speaking further, he said: “There is also the need to give south-east a sense of belonging since 2015 till date under the APC, with a Senate President.”.

Apart from that Gizo said there was need to douse the IPOB/ESN and general insecurity in the south-east.

He said the, “South-east is in the majority in terms of population spread across the federation against the south-south.

“Our position is to strengthen democracy, reduce political tension, reduce security threats and keep Nigeria one.

“We are not mindful of the fact that democracy is a game of numbers, but we are equally mindful that Nigeria is a cosmopolitan and a multi-religious state that needs special handling in the spirit of keeping the Nigerian state one.

“This world press conference desires all attention and with all seriousness to avoid an avoidable crisis.”

The group said the president-elect Senator Bola Tinubu has so much on his hands to tackle.

These it listed to include the backlog of the security challenges, the naira redesign and cashless policy, the fuel scarcity, the high level of unemployment, education deficit, infrastructural developments, medical services, among others.

He said, “Presently as we face the transition, there are negative agitations to truncate the will of the people where Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu has been voted by the majority votes to lead the nation yet other anti-democratic elements are calling for an interim government, military coup and a call to stop the swearing in come May 29th 2023.

“We are calling on all well-meaning Nigerians to rise against these elements of anti-democracy and ensure that democracy thrives and a smooth transition to swear in the president-elect Tinubu, to take over in order to minimise the myriad of problems facing the country.

“The most serious arm of government after the executive arm is the legislative arm.

“This conference is to address the nation on where leadership of this very important arm especially the Senate President will be zoned to for stability, sustainable democracy and for total integration.

“In the first place, the Muslim-Muslim ticket that almost cost the APC the success at the polls has come and gone and Nigeria now has the number one and two both as Muslims if the nation is to stand the Senate President form the North West they should step down for the sake of democracy and inclusiveness.

“All the likely contestants from the North West are Muslims. The political crises this attempt will cause may consume the nation. If the APC truly want to rule for 16 years and even more this balance is not negotiable, it must be taken seriously and be conceded to a Christian from the south-east.”