Ex-senators on the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday urged aspirants for Senate President to support Senator Godswill Akpabio, who has been endorsed by the party.
The ex-senators under the aegis of ‘APC Non-serving Senators Group’, advised the other contenders – Orji Kalu, Osita Izunazo and Abdulaziz Yari – to respect party supremacy.
The ex-Senators, who had served during Second, Third and Fourth republics, reiterated their position on party supremacy during the meeting in Abuja with some elders, including Aremo Olusegun Osoba, Alhaji Tanko Yakassai, Ambassador Godknows Igali and Archbishop John Praise.
Outgoing Senate President Ahmed Lawan highlighted the factors that are likely to shape the election of the presiding officers of the 10th National Assembly.
He told reporters after he and House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila met with President Bola Tinubu in Aso Villa, Abuja, that the choice of next principal officers will be guided by national interest and interest of the National Assembly.
President Tinubu and the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC had zoned the Senate President to the Southsouth and endorsed Akpabio and Senator Barau Jibrin from Kano, Northwest as Deputy Senate President.
Senators Kalu, Yari, Osita Izunaso and others had objected to the endorsement and vowed to contest against the Akpabio/Jibrin ticket on inauguration day.
At an enlarged meeting of the APC Non-Serving Senators Group and Stakeholders in Abuja, the Convener, Senator Basheer Lado, called on them not to repeat the mistakes of the past.
He urged them to withdraw their bids in the interest of peace, party cohesion and the smooth takeoff of the Tinubu administration.
The elders – Osoba and Yakasai also called on the group to reach out to senators-elect opposing the position of the party.
Osoba urged the APC Non-Serving Senators to lobby other aspirants to ensure that zoning is sustained.
Osoba said: “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 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 urged APC senators-elect to respect the supremacy of the party as enshrined in its constitution.
After reading a section of the APC Constitution, which provides that the party is supreme, Ebute said: “The party is supreme. No member should oppose the constitution of the party and the 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 doubt that Akpabio is qualified to serve as Senate President because of his pedigree.
He 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.
“The personality is no other than a one-time governor of his state, a one-time minister and presently, a senator-elect of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, my popular, competent and amiable Senator Godswill Apkabio.
“Senator Akpabio is now presenting himself for consideration and support to be elected the President of the Senate.”
Ambassador Godknows Igali said the Southsouth is grateful to the APC for zoning the position of Senate President to the region for the purpose of equity, fairness and justice.
He added: “Let us move to lobby our colleagues to support the choice of the party for Senate President to enable our new government to hit the ground running.”
Senator Lado said the enlarged meeting became imperative for the Forum to reaffirm its support for the party’s position that the President of the Senate and his deputy should come from the southern and northern parts of the country for balance and stability.
Lado said: “We are equally convinced that there is a need now more than ever to support the party and strengthen its decision in this regard.
“We are convinced that a strong party capable of whipping its members into line stands a better chance to oversight its members in the executive and legislative branches of government and ensuring that the party manifesto and governance philosophy are religiously observed and executed.
“We were all witnesses to the dislocation that occurred when the legislators rebelled against the party and the president to install their own officers against the position of the party during the first four years of the immediate past administration and the last four years of the administration before it.
“Such a scenario immediately breeds an in-house opposition where the party works against itself. It does not bear stating that a lot of time and resources are usually lost in an effort to convince fellow party members to push forward with the programmes of the party.”
Lado added: “It is not an accident that democracies that are running well, including those on our continent, are democracies where party supremacy is respected and supported.
“Parties are organic structures that outlive periodic leaders who come and go with election seasons. They should therefore not be seen as a mere platform for winning elections and kicking down the ladder thereafter.
“Loyalty to the party in countries like South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia and many others on the continent is the beginning of political wisdom.
“APC members of the 10th National Assembly will be traveling a familiar route in Africa by putting the party first. A few African parliamentary leaders such as Rt. Hon. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the leader of the National Assembly of South Africa, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, the leader of the Parliament of Ghana, Rt. Hon. Augustine Iyamurenye, the leader of the Parliament of Rwanda, and Rt. Hon. Amason Kingi Jeffa, the leader of Kenya, are all put in positions by the ruling parties of those nations.
“As key players in our party and nation, we are also aware that, in addition to the need for political harmony, regional balancing, and respect for religious plurality, Senators Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin are not only ranking senators but also possess the necessary leadership skills.
“With Senators Akpabio and Barau Jibrin in charge of the 10th Senate, there is no doubt that the National Assembly would provide the necessary synergy to His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to ensure that all Nigerians benefit from good governance and democratic dividends.
“We, therefore, call on all you stakeholders to support this patriotic move. In the interest of Nigeria’s national stability, peace, and party cohesion,we equally request once again that other aspirants withdraw their candidacies.”
How principal officers will emerge, by Lawan
President Tinubu’s meeting with the leadership of both chambers of the National Assembly was closely followed by another one with Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu, both preferred choices for Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
Highlighting the factors that will likely shape the emergence of the principal officers, Lawan said: “What will inform the emergence will be the national interest, interest of the National Assembly, the legislature to together and therefore, everybody matters in this process. We also believe that Mr. President, having been a Senator himself, and the Vice President also having been a Senator, this is something that they will always wish and pray for.”
He added: “As the Chairman of the 9th National Assembly, I find it dutiful and necessary to work with all the major stakeholders especially the leadership of our country, Mr President particularly, to give my necessary opinion and advice on how the new leadership of the National Assembly should emerge and what we need to do to ensure stability, productivity of the National Assembly and to ensure peaceful atmosphere between the legislature and the executive arms of government.
“We are getting somewhere and I pray we are able to resolve all the outstanding issues by the grace of God. And Mr President is positively disposed to everything being done smoothly,” he said.
When asked about his ambition to retain his seat as Senate President, Lawan said he has never shown interest.
He stressed: “I have never indicated interest to run for the office of the President of the Senate in the 10 National Assembly. We have worked together with distinguished Senators of the 9th National Assembly and members of the House of Representatives to create a very clement environment for us to work.
“We have been productive, much more productive than any National Assembly. We have worked very closely with the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari and of course, that helped the administration.
I have president’s backing, says Akpabio
Akpabio maintained that President Tinubu is still solidly behind his aspiration.
According to a statement by the Media Unit, Stability Group for Akpabio/Barau Campaign Organisation, he denied media reports that Tinubu has withdrawn his support for him.
He also said that there is no break in ranks among the 70 senators-elect that have decided to support him.
The statement titled: “Re: 10th NASS Leadership: APC, Tinubu Allegedly Back Out Of Akpabio’s Endorsement” reads: “The attention of the Senate Stability Group of the 10th Senate has been drawn to a sponsored article in some national dialies and online news platforms, purporting the alleged withdrawal of support from President Bola Tinubu for the aspiration of Senator Godswill Akpabio as the preferred choice of Mr President and party leadership.
“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.
“That 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/ 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.
“That 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.
“That 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.”
“That Senator Akpabio has served this country in various capacities from when he was a commissioner, two term governor, Senate Minority Leader and most recently, as a member of the Federal Executive Council without any blemish except a tone of allegation which has not yet been proven. Yet mischief makers carry around the spurious allegations simply because he is running for the office of the President of the10th Senate.
“For the records, there is no iota of truth in the allegation of break in the rank of over 70 senators-elect supporting Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Jubril Barau APC Endorsed candidacy for Senate President and Deputy Senate President.
“The truth is that desperate opposition to the party’s position are now jittery with their imminent failure with President Bola Tinubu now as Leader of APC and President. “
“The rebels to the party’s position are also jittery that Tinubu being a man of his words, the decision of the party on zoning would remain unaltered with the massive support of Senators-Elect across all geo-political zones with South West Senators-Elect as the arrow heads of Akpabio/Barau ticket.
“From our observations in the last few days, particularly after the successful inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the 16th president of the country, the heat is now on the rebels as discreet investigations for money laundering has commenced against some of them who think they can use money to buy some of the over 70 Senators-Elect supporting the Akpabio/Barau ticket.
“Finally, the Akpabio/ Barau ticket has continued to enjoy the support of Mr President, party leadership, the Governor’s Forum, party stakeholders across party lines and over 70 Senators-Elect, who would cast their votes for the preferred candidates for the NASS Leadership.
“One million and one purveyors and sponsors of fake news, lies and blackmail in the newspapers and online news platforms cannot alter the decison of the Senators-elect, who are more than eager and willing to put the duo of Akpabio and Barau on the driving seats of the National Assembly come 13th June, 2023.”
