10th N’Assembly: Northern Senators-elect Insist on Producing Senate President

* Delegate members to meet Tinubu

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

No fewer than 39 out of the 58 senators elected across the various political parties in Northern Nigeria met Sunday night and resolved that their region must produce the Senate President in the 10th National Assembly.

A ranking senator from the North-west revealed the information to THISDAY Monday morning strictly on conditions of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of their discussion.

The senator said the senators-elect maintained that the north deserves the number three position in the country because the region delivered the highest number of votes for the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, in the February 25 presidential election.

He said his colleagues also agreed to hold an expanded meeting that would involve all the 58 elected senators from the three geopolitical zones of Nigeria in the second week of May.

The elected federal lawmakers, he added, would engage their counterparts from the Southern part of the country on the need to support their aspiration.

Part of their resolution which he sent to THISDAY read: “Northern senators-elect met today Sunday, May 30, 2023 and deliberated amongst themselves across party lines. Before the meeting was adjourned the senators-elect agreed to the following resolutions.

“That such meeting should be expanded by extending invitation to all elected senators from the three geo-political zones of North-central, North-east and North-west to attend the next meeting. 

“The senators all agreed to work together irrespective of party, religion or zonal affiliations in the clamour for effective leadership in the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“That the senators-elect all have agreed that the President of the Senate shall emerge from the Northern part of the country. 

“That it should be on record the Northern part of the country contributed more votes to the victory of APC in the 2023 general election hence the need to have the office of the President of the Senate of the 10th Assembly.

“That the Northern senators agreed to mutually extend its cooperation with its southern counterparts in providing good governance in Nigeria as an essential tool to its stability and growth.” 

The senator added that the Forum had also delegated two of their ranking members to meet with the President-elect, Tinubu, to relay their resolutions to him.

He said another meeting, which would be a continuous one, had been rescheduled for Sunday.