Senate Presidency: Osoba, Yakassai, Ex-Senators Beg Yari, Kalu, Others to Respect Party’s Supremacy

*Akpabio’s team denies report Tinubu hasn’t withdrawn support 

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

A former Governor of Ogun State, Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, and some non-serving senators from the Second to the Fourth Republics, yesterday, called on Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, former governor Abdul’Aziz Yari and other aspirants for the position of Senate President in the 10th National Assembly to respect party’s supremacy and withdraw from the race.

This was as the the campaign office of the All Progressives Congress (APC) preferred candidate for the position of the 10th Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has denied reports that President Bola Tinubu has withdrawn his support from the former Akwa Ibom State governor.

However, the senior party men made the call at an enlarged meeting of the APC non-serving senators attended by critical stakeholders which also included Ambassador Godknows Igali and Archbishop John Praise, among others, in Abuja.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Working Committee of the APC had zoned the position to the South-south and specifically endorsed Senator Godswill Akpabio as its candidate with Senator Barau Jibrin as his deputy. 

But Kalu, Yari, Senator Osita Izunaso and others had objected to the action of the APC leadership and vowed to contest against Akpabio/Jibrin ticket on inauguration day.

Speaking at at the occasion, the Convener, Senator Basheer Lado, called on the aspirants in opposition to the party’s choice against repeating the mistakes of the past, and pleaded with them to withdraw their bids in the interest of peace, party cohesion and the smooth take-off of Tinubu’s administration. 

Osoba and Yakasai, among others also called on the group to reach out to senators-elect, who were against the position of the party,  to respect the APC’s constitution and support Akpabio and Jibrin.

Osoba specifically,  urged the APC Non-Serving Senators to lobby other aspirants to ensure that the zoning of the position stood. 

“I want to appeal to you on two issues. Let us all organise a serious lobby system by convening a meeting of all aspirants for the position of Senate President in the 10th Senate to make them see reason why they should toe the line of the party. 

“The party has decided on zoning and has zoned the positions. We cannot afford to start this government on another crises. The fuel subsidy removal crisis is already there.

“Let us go back to our states and lobby our senators-elect to support the choice of the party. With this, I believe we shall achieve our goal without any hitch.” 

Former Senate President, Ameh Ebute, also called on all APC Senators-elect to respect the supremacy of the party as enshrined in its constitution.

Ebute said, “The party is supreme. No member should oppose the constitution of the party and position of its leadership. We should abide by the constitution of the party and the zoning of National Assembly leadership positions by the party.”

Elder statesman, Yakasai said he had no doubts that Akpabio was qualified to hold the position of Senate President because of his pedigree. 

Yakasai said, “The time of paucity of qualified Nigerians is over many years ago. This is the reason for my difficulties in the task giving a talk in a gathering like this. What made my task somewhat easier is the fact that we know the personality we are all talking about. 

“The person is no other than one of the few among the multitudes of people we know who is privileged to occupy three important positions many of our compatriots will wish to occupy any time such an opportunity presents itself to them.”

Meanwhile, Akpabio’s campaign office, in a statement, described reports that Tinubu had withdrawn support for their principal as false.

“Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered to dignify the sponsored false publication with a response since the purported withdrawal of support exists only in the minds of its purveyors and sponsors, but because of the negative effect it might create in the minds of our teeming supporters, it is therefore imperative that we offer this response. 

“The purported withdrawal of support from Mr President is a big fat lie baked in the oven of those who are yet to come to terms that the Akpabio/ Jibrin Barau ticket for the leadership of the 10th has come to stay and served on those who are scared of coming to terms with the reality on ground, hence they resort to cheap blackmail, name calling, outright lies and falsehood.

“The support and endorsement of Mr President and the party leadership for our candidate has not been withdrawn nor being contemplated as erroneously stated in the sponsored article.

“The sponsors and backers of the story through out their wild goose chase labored profusely to paint the party’s preferred senate leadership in bad light with no concrete evidence to prove their corruption allegation.”