10th NASS Leadership: APC S/East caucus warns Tinubu of implications of endorsement

By Tunde Opalana

Consequent upon rumoured endorsement of candidates for positions of Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker by the President – elect, Bola Tinubu, the South East causus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Senate has warned Tinubu of grave implications of his action.

Rising from a meeting on Sunday, 11 of the 15 senators elected from the five South East states vehemently rejected the purported endorsement by Tinubu and insisted that the President- elect should correct political injustices fone yo the geopolitical zone by allowing a South East senator occupies the Senate President seat.

The Caucus described as dismay , the antics of persons with vested selfish Interests that planted themselves around Tinubu who have vowed to shut out the South East from the Senate Presidency of the 10th Senate.

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They insisted that beyond ethnic and religious considerations, in the forthcoming 10th Senate, the Southeast has been blessed with ranking Senators-elect Including members of the All Progressive Congress (APC) who have the cranial capacity, competence, influence, experience and Political followership to pilot the affairs of the Red Chamber.

They said it becomes imperative that the APC upholds the principle of natural justice and equity which it preaches founded on reasons and zone the seat of Senate President to the South East region.

This decision was container in a communique signed by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and 10 others who attended the meeting .

They are; Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah, Senator Victor Umeh, Senator Osita Izunaso, Senator Ezenwa Oyewuchi, Senator Tony Nwoye, Senator PC Ndubueze, Senator Okey Ezea, Senator Kelvin Chukwu, and Senator Osita Ngwu.

Not at the meeting for obvious reasons of supporting the Godswill Akpabio endorsed candidature are the three APC senators from Ebonyi led by Governor Dave Umahi and one Labour Party senator from Abia State, Darlington Nwokocha.

The communique read impart that ” the President elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu should extend the same democratic opportunity he received from the outgoing administration which gave all aspirants equal opportunity to exercise their fundamental and constitutional rights during the APC Presidential Primaries. He should be conscious of the grave implications of zoning and endorsing a candidate from the South-South without any regard for the Southeast, such move will no doubt serve as a recipe for injustice which will culminate to restiveness.

“We implore the President-elect to be sensitive to the times in Nigeria and ensure the country continues to thrive on the party of equity, unity and fairness to the tripod of Nigeria (Hausa Igbo Yoruba) and the geopolitical zones

“The country is already divided amongst ethnic and religious lines due to the exclusion of the Southeast region, which formed the major reason the APC received the amount of votes from the Southeast. The incoming Administration of Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu must correct this anomaly by ensuring that the Southeast is given the opportunity to produce the next Senate President.

“With the side-lining of the Southeast from producing the Presidential candidates of the major political parties before the general elections, the only means through which the zone can be compensated and given a sense of belonging is for the zone to produce the next Senate President as this will restore confidence of the people from the South-east and South- south geo-political zones and indeed all Nigerians in the unity of the country

“The APC must rise above primordial and political interest and shun the winner takes all syndrome and pursue ethno-religious inclusivity and a strong, virile, united, progressive, prosperous, equitable and just democratic nation

“Mr President-elect, how would an average Igbo man feel after he sees evidence of total discrimination. The South East have been denied the chance of producing the president of Nigeria since 1966. The South South has produced President for six years and also had Deputy Senate President In the outgoing administration. The only zone in the South that has not been favoured is the South East.

“The outcry of marginalization by the South East and the entire Igbo should be addressed by your incoming administration rather than aggravating it. The South West has President, the North East has Vice President. It is only just that the least position at the moment that can assuage the South East is given the chance to be the President of the 10th Senate.

“On this note we have collectively resolved to support South East aspirants of the APC. We remain committed and have since expanded negotiations with other well-meaning Senators-elect to rally round the South East to ensure that justice, fairness and unity of the country prevails.

“We remain hopeful that together we shall achieve a harmonious 10th Senate, deepen democracy, fairness and the unity of our dear country.”

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