The Vice Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), North-West, Salihu Lukman, has urged the party to consider zoning the Senate President position in the 10th National Assembly to the South-South zone.
Lukman, in an open letter to the party titled ‘APC and Tasks of Negotiating 10th NASS Leadership’ on Wednesday, cited previous tenures in the federal legislature and the rationales behind the geopolitical zones that produced its leadership.
He warned that the Muslim-Muslim ticket of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Sen. Kashim Shettima would mean an unregulated contest for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly could produce another Muslim as Senate President.
The party’s vice chairman suggested compensating the South-South for “giving more votes to the APC, including winning the Governorship election in Cross River and majority members of the Edo State House of Assembly.”
He added that “consideration can be given for the South-South to produce the Senate President”.
In his view, if that is to be considered, then the position of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives should be given to the South-East.
“All these are issues to be debated, around which a decision would have to be taken one way or the other. Once there is a decision, it will be binding on everyone,” he said.
The APC stalwart also spoke out against people from the North-West declaring to contest for the position of Senate President without consulting any of us from North-West in NWC.
He appealed to members from the North-West aspiring for the top Senate position to step down their aspiration in the overall interest of national cohesion.
“[I urged them to] ensure that in line with our commitment as leaders of the North-West to support the administration of Asiwaju Tinubu to assume office in May 29, 2023 with a good support base from Nigerians across every section and irrespective of ethnic and religious divide,” he said.
