Senate president: APC North East youths, NWC disagree over anointed candidate

Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC), North East Progressive Youth Forum, has disagreed with the ruling party’s National Working Committee (NWC) over the decision to anoint Ahmed Lawan as president of the 9th Senate.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja, the Chairman, Rimam Tsokwa, argued that Danjuma Goje is the most qualified senator to assume the position, stressing that he has wealth of unchallenged experience, second to none among the contenders.

In a written address titled “Why Danjuma Goje should be the next Senate president,” the forum noted: “We, as a group, want to commend the ruling party, APC for zoning the Senate president position to the North-East; it is indeed a decision long overdue.”

“We have six geopolitical zones and six key positions ranging from the office of the President of Nigeria to Deputy Speaker, House of Representative. For equity, justice and fair play, each of the six geo-political zones should be ably represented.

“The president is from the North-West, the Vice President is from the South-West, the Senate President zoned to North-East, while the three zones, that is, North-Central, South-South, South-East deserve the distribution of the under listed offices, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.

“It will be unfair to zone the office of the Speaker to the South-West leaving North Central, South-South and South-East out of the zoning arrangement.

“Sequel to the above, there should be religious balancing, owing to the fact that all the contenders to the office of the Senate president are Muslims and Femi Gbajabiamila is also a Muslim from the South-West.

“The Speaker ought to be a Christian and not from the South-West who already have the Vice President in the sharing formula of the six key positions of leadership in this country.

“However, we wish to reiterate our position which we believe will strengthen our growing democracy that the contestants should be given a level playing ground being party leaders from the North-East geopolitical zone.

“If a level playing ground is allowed, Goje will emerge as the Senate president; considering his experience and cordial relationship with both his colleagues and the Presidency and his role in the just concluded 2019 general election,” the forum noted.