Northern senators-elect strategise to clinch 10th Senate Presidency

BY ORIAKU IJELE

Although the ruling All Progressives Congress keeps reiterating that it was yet to zone the principal offices in the National Assembly for the 10th Senate, indications are rife that Northern Nigeria despite keeping the position of the Senate President in the past 16 years is still keen on retaining it in the 10th Assembly.

Although insinuations are rife that it is the turn of the South to produce the next Senate President, underground scheming in the polity may well make it elusive for southern politicians, going by what Daily Times gathered.

Those pushing for the North to clinch it are basing their rationale on the fact that it was their votes that helped APC to win the presidential election, even though the opposition parties have called the election ‘a flawed one’.

A source told the newspaper that the latest push for the north to get the position may not be unconnected with the fact that there is need to let the region have an eye on whet the President is doing in order to protect their interest. According to him, “Senate Presidency and Presidency should ideally not be in the same region because both are the engine room of the government.

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While one controls the executive arm the other controls the legislative arm. Since the South has the President, it will be good to let the North have the Senate President.

The office of the Vice Presidency is actually not powerful and can only perform assignments delegated by the President. In this respect, it will be good for the North to have it, while the south gets Speaker of the House of Reps.”

Part of the scheme being used according to the source would be for the party to throw open the contest, which would polarize southern interests to jump into the fray as a divided house. The source also hinted that the senators are looking in the direction of the NW for a candidate, since the NC has produced the likes of Senator David Mark and Bukola Saraki.

So far the southern candidates in hot contest for the position include Orji Uzor Kalu, Osita Izunaso and Senator Godswill Akpabio.