Senate leadership: With North’s rejection of Akpabio, we are confident of Izunaso’s chances –Pundits

By Stephen Gbadamosi

Some Nigerians have said the senator representing Imo West in the National Assembly, Osita Izunaso, have expressed optimism that he will emerge as the next Senate president, judging by alleged rejection of former Akwa Ibom State governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio, for the plum position by Northern senators.

It was learnt on Thursday that many groups within the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucuses and interests outside of the party have been marketing Izunaso for the position, banking on the possibility that a North-West representative would emerge as speaker of the House of Representatives and a North-Central senator would become deputy Senate president and a South-Southerner emerging as deputy speaker of the House.

Credible sources told our reporter that the majority of the senators of Northern extraction had expressed reservation over the emergence of the name of Chief Akpabio among those angling for the Senate presidency position, adding that even as they were not averse to the Southern part of the country clinching the position, they would rather a credible senator from the South-East occupied it.

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“We have studied the situation,” said a close ally of Senator Izunaso who pleader anonymity, adding that “with a person like Senator Akpabio not striking the right cord with senators from the North for the position, Izunaso’s chances are becoming fait accompli.

“We have studied the situation very well; we are currently appealing to the leadership of thr APC not to throw the position open, but to zone it to the South-East. We want to avoid the kind of development that characterised the leadership processing process of the Eighth National Assembly.

“If and when our pleas are hearkened to, Izunaso is the best bet from the South. We want a National Assembly that will be stable and contribute its part meaningfully to the good governance we expect from the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and his executive. Every section of the nation will have that sense of belonging.

“We have competent people from all parts of the country; but we must go for the very best that we have for each of the important positions.”

Also, a former federal permanent secretary noted that the leadership of the APC was already considering the pleas of the various groups to support Izunaso for the position.

“He is not just a ranking senator. He belongs to a part of the country that deserves to be considered first for that position. And above all, he has the most towering qualities among all that have so far indicated interest. The overall interest of our country has to be topmost when we are talking about such sensitive position,” he said.

Similarly, the National Forum of APC Local Government Chairmen, has come out to buttress the point of the bright chances of Izunaso.

South-South chairman and national spokesman of the forum, Nobert Sochukwudinma, on TVC Politics Tonight monitored by our correspondent, said Izunaso fitted the perfect leader to occupy the position of chairman of the National Assembly.

“It must be a servant-leader who is ready to serve, not a boss-leader. Most distinguished Senator Osita Izunaso fits in absolutely. He is neither going to rub shoulders as the Senate president, neither is he going to be a rubber stamp lawmaker. He knows his onions; but he will respect and regard other leaders as well as carry them along.

“The reason for the speakership, for which we are considering Honourable Tajudeen Abas, from the North-West, is that our current party national chairman is from the North-Central. So, if they have the deputy Senate president, in person of Muhammed Sani Musa, it is fair enough, so that the North-West will have speaker; and the deputy speaker from the South-South, we are pleading to have Honourable Reverend Samson EjiroOghene from Delta State.

“We are praying for them to consider these. We do not have votes to cast on the floors of the Houses. Most of those senators-elect and House of Representatives members-elect are our leaders. They were all voted from the grassroots. So, we know them,” he said.