Nabena Calls on Northern Senators-elect to Support South-South for Senate Presidency”

ABUJA/Nigeria: Hon. Yekini Nabena, a former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has said that recent developments in the political landscape ahead of the election of presiding officers of the 10th National Assembly in Nigeria give credence to the idea that the South-south geopolitical zone should produce the next Senate President.

Nabena in a statement, stated that the withdrawal of two major contenders for the position of Speaker, Hon. Muktar Betara Aliyu from the North-east and Hon. Yusuf Gagdi from the North-central, who endorsed Hon. Tajuddeen Abbas from the North-west as the preferred candidate, argues that with the Vice President, Speaker, Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), and potentially the Senate President all coming from the North, it raises concerns about equitable representation in government.

The former APC scribe also raised the issue of a Muslim-Muslim ticket with the President and Vice President both being Muslims. He suggests that this should be taken into consideration and that support should be rallied for Senator Godswill Akpabio, the only candidate from the South-south, to become the next Senate President to ensure religious balance in the government of Nigeria, which is a secular state.

Nabena urges Senators-elect to unite behind Akpabio, emphasizing the need for equity, justice, and fairness. He points out that the South-west has the President, the North-east has the Vice President, the North-west is likely to have the Speaker and the North-central has the SGF. He argues that if the position of Senate President eludes the South-south, the region will be left out of the equation.

He further appealed to the North to forgive any past wrongs by Senator Akpabio, the former Akwa Ibom Governor, for the sake of national unity and religious harmony, and to allow him to emerge as the next Senate President.