PANDEF Makes Case for South-South Senate President in 10th Assembly

Emameh Gabriel in Abuja

Some elders and leaders from the Niger Delta, under the umbrella of the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) have appealed to the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the position of Senate President to the South-south geopolitical zone, in the interest of equity and fairness.

The group in a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, made available to THISDAY, yesterday, noted that the last time someone from the present south-south states occupied the office of senate president was during the second republic (1979/1983), when the late distinguished Senator Joseph Wayas, from Cross River State, was elected, first in October 1979.

“Since 1999”, it stated, “the south-south zone has not had a turn in the office of the senate president. The region has had stints at the lower levels of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, between 1999 and 2007, under the Rt. Hon. Chibudom Nwuche, and the Rt. Hon. Austin Opara, both from Rivers State. Currently, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, from Delta State, is Deputy Senate President.

“Ostensibly, the south-south zone has an unassailable reason to step up to the senate presidency, after 24 years of our current democratic experience. No contrary arguments can stand against this south-south position,” it stated.

PANDEF, therefore, implored the president-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with other key stakeholders of the APC, and all senators-elect of all parties, and the parties’ hierarchies, to support the ceding of the incoming senate presidency to the south-south zone.

The leadership of PANDEF, argued that it was, “unarguably, the fair and proper thing to do, at this time of our country’s political progression.”

It stated that whilst agreeing, “in parts, with the positions postulated by the Progressive Governors Forum, and sundry individuals,” PANDEF expressed concern over the names reported in the media, to have indicated interest in the senate presidency, in particular.

It added: “The APC having upheld the principle of rotation of key political offices between the north and the south, in respect of the presidency of the federation, is expected to maintain the same modus for the other major elective political offices viz: The senate presidency, speakership of the House of Representatives and their deputies.

“Surely, the leadership of the APC cannot be entirely unmindful of the fact that a Muslim senate presidency would bring further imperilment to national order, affecting the sorely desired overall stability. A wrong move on this score can only represent a step too far.

“PANDEF, as a body of patriots and proven committed stakeholders, in the Nigerian Project, is compelled to issue this timely advice, in the national interest. Thus, urges politicians to draw lessons from recent happenings in the polity, and demonstrate grander statesmanship, and patriotism, in designing the leadership of the upcoming 10th National Assembly; while cautioning that obsessive political characters should not be allowed to blur this all-important issue with the usual ignoble hoarse recourse to “internal affair” status.

“That would be most unfortunate and of no profit to any demographics in the Nigerian Project!