National Assembly leadership; Northern stakeholder, Tinubu/ Shetima Supporters Rally Round Sen.Akpabio

By Abdulateef Bamgbose

Coordinators for Tinubu/Shetima Presidential Campaign have thrown their weight behind Senator Godswill Akpabio, for the race for the President of the senate .
Addressing the press on Wednesday in Abuja after the meeting of the group, the group Chairman, Dr. Haruna Gololo said that ” The South South region should be given the office of the president of the Senate while the North West represented by Hon. Ado Doguwa, should be given the Speaker of the House of Representatives”

According to Gololo, an All Progressive Congress (APC), Chieftain who dub as the Coordinator of the North -East Campaign for Tinubu and Shetima in the February presidential election the party should rally round the former Minister of Niger Delta , Senator Akpabio, who against all odds decamped to the party, abandoned his Ministerial appointment only to step down for the president elect, Bola Tinubu.

” Akpabio, has demonstrated that he is a loyal party man, despite all the attempt to rubbish his failed, he remain steadfast and consistent unlike Rotimi Ameachi the former Minister of Transportation who did not only abandoned the party after he failed his ambition but worked against the party in the presidential election ”
While commending other Senators from the North who had indicated interest in the race , the group insisted that ” Senator Sani Musa from Niger East should peer Senator Akpabio, as Deputy Senate president while others should be compensated ”
Against the argument that the Northwest should be given the Speaker of the House, the group said that” the only Candidate for that office should be Hon. Dogwa because even Senator jibrin Barau, who is gunning for the President of the Senate has contributed half of the votes in Kano state like Hon. Ado Doguwa ”
The group said that the South East should not even contemplate the president of the Senate saying ” The South East has been there since 1999.
We had senate president from the East in person of Senator Chuba Okadigbo, Wabara, Pius Ayim, Nnamani and then the deputy senate president Ike Ekweremadu for almost 18 years ”

” Akpabio and Senator Sani Musa have made enough sacrifice and they deserved the offices” he insisted.
So far in the Senate Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, David Umahi, Ostia Izunaso had so far indicated their interest in the race from the South East.
From the North is Senator Sani Musa, Senator Jibrin Barau, from Niger state and Kano state respectively.

In the House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase , the current deputy speaker, from plateau, Hon. Ado Dogo, from Kano, Hon. Tajudeen from Kaduna, Benjamin Kalu, from east are among the front runners for the Speakership.
The group warned against the reputation of the 2019 election in National Assembly when the opposition rally round Senator Bukola Saraki and Hon. Tambuwal to hijack the leadership of the National Assembly.
” It is In the interest of the APC to elect credible leaders in the 10th Assembly, not senators with baggages ”
The group rule out the possibility of the opposition which presently constitute the majority in the House from producing the Speaker.
Out of the 360 seats in the House the opposition presently constitute 186 members in the House.