There are rumors that the three senators Osita Izunaso, Orji Uzor Kalu, and Abdulaziz Yari are thinking about joining forces to challenge Godswill Akpabio for the office of Senate President.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) NWC chose Tajudeen Abbas (Kaduna/North-West) for Speaker of the House of Representatives, Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom/South-South) for President of the Senate, Jibrin Barau (Kano/North-West) for Deputy President of the Senate, and Benjamin Kalu (Abia/South-East) for Deputy Speaker.
According to information obtained, the senators want to endorse the former governor of the state of Zamfara as the front-runner in the race against Akpabio, who is expected to receive support from the 10th Assembly’s minority caucus.
10th NASS: Akpabio, Orji Kalu, Yari In Three-horse Race For Senate President
Also, in the yet-to-be-inaugurated House of Representatives, members of the G6 alliance comprising deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase (North-Central), Hon. Mukhtar Aliyu Betara (North-East), Hon. Miriam Onuoha (South-East), Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (North-Central), Hon. Aminu Jaji (North-West), and member-elect Sada Soli Jibia (North-West), have vowed to produce a consensus candidate from among them to defeat the APC’s choice of Abbas.
The G6 in the House and Yari, Kalu, and Izunaso’s decisions to move forward with their ambitions appear to have been influenced by the possibility that the APC national leadership broke its promise to them to review the contentious zoning formula the party had adopted.
Many stakeholders had criticized the selections of Senator Barau as Deputy Senate President and Hon. Abbas as Speaker given that they are both from the same North-West geopolitical zone.
Yari had objected to the APC’s zoning plan for the 10th Senate leadership positions because it violated the federal character concept entrenched in the constitution and was in disagreement with the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
10th NASS: Tinubu Meets Izunaso Behind Closed Doors Over Senate Presidency
Speaking to Arise News TV last Tuesday, Yari said, “I am particularly talking about the APC, if they decide to zone (Senate leadership positions), we ask them a question, on what do you based the zoning? Have you taken the federal character into cognizance, where the President, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Assembly chairman, the three arms of government, are in one place?
“The present Chief Justice of Nigeria is from Oyo State; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect is from Lagos State, and Akpabio is from Akwa Ibom State at the same time. While the next Chief Justice of the Federation (Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun) is also going to be from the South-West.”
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