By DAPO ALAOSEBIKAN –
It is an open secret that the race for the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly is on. It is equally a national knowledge that the race is literally between the South-South and South-East geopolitical zones of the country though the North-West is lately trying to be in contention with the recent news of intention by ex-Governor Abdulaziz Yari from Zamfara State.
As things currently stand in geopolitical Nigeria however, the two front liners for the coveted post of nation’s Apex Legislature being mentioned in our social space are Senators Godswill Akpabio and Orji Uzor Kalu from South-South and South-East respectively.
As one’s social responsibility for agenda-setting for the All Progressives Party to avoid a possible implosion at the take-off the Tinubu era this year and without any tongue-twisting equivocation the national consensus is that the odds are in favour of Sen. Akpabio as a result of the following facts and reality of of our national politics and political configuration in Nigeria.
First of all, it is generally argued that since the beginning of current dispensation in the country in 1999, the South-South has not occupied the post of Senate President, whereas, the South-East had occupied the post severally. In this regard, late Senators Chuba Okadigbo Evan Enwerem were the pioneers.
They were followed by, Senators Adolphus Wabara, Ayim Pius Ayim and Ken Nnamani.
Of course, a fact of this South-East domination of the Senate Presidency, particularly during the Olusegun Obasajo era at the beginning of current political dispensation in the country, which, indeed, seemingly counts against the the geopolitical zone in the current political situation regarding the next Senate President, is that the region was controlled by then ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, and its electoral contributions to the party’s electoral victories of the party in the federal and local elections at the time, was remarkably high. But, in the just concluded national elections in Nigeria, total contribution of the South-East to electoral victories and fortunes of APC, the ruling party, was ridiculously low, whereas South-South’s overall contribution in the same regard, was massively monumental.
In a similar fashion, personal or individual contributions of South-East to APC’s electoral fortune is abysmal compared to that of South-South and other geopolitical zones of the country. Of a fact, statistics don’t lie. For example, in the last presidential election, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, the zone’s contender for the
Senate Presidency, scored 30,805 votes to win his senatorial seat and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, APC’s presidential flagbearer in the election held same time and day, scored a paltry 8,914 votes in the same Abia State.
On the other hand, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, the South-South candidate, scored 115, 401 votes to make it to the Senate of the 10th National Assembly in his state. Considering it statistically, in the February election, the President-Elect got 160,620 votes from Akwa-Ibom State alone apart from the massive votes
he got from the other states from the South-South while he got a total of 127,605 votes from the entire five Southeastern States of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo.
The implication of all these is that it is being held within the ruling APC, particularly its decision-makers and power brokers that in the race for Senate Presidency of the 10th National Assembly, any candidate from the South-East will be running from a position of serious disadvantage. Thus, as it has been
established by President Muhammadu Buhari and openly reiterated by the President-Elect during last electioneering campaigns, there will be no more room for “monkey dey work, baboons dey chop” in the sharing of political fortunes that came with the electoral victory of the APC at the last polls.
Of course, it cannot be underestimated that the North as a political unit, will not play a remarkable role in who becomes next President of the Senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria. From all available facts, the South-South candidate is banked to be the region’s choice. A symbolic attestation to this is the fact that a group from Nasarawa State, like many others from the region, has started to openly canvass for Sen. Akpabio for the Senate Presidency. The group, Senator Godswill Akpabio for Common Good (SGACG), in publications in some Nigerian dailies recently, called on all senators-elect for the 10th Senate to vote for Senator Godswill Akpabio as the next Senate president of Nigeria.
The Chairman of the group, Musa Yahaya Azara, made the request on behalf of the SGACG at a press conference in Lafia, Nasarawa State. While noting that all the other aspirants for the office of the Senate President were experienced and qualified, Azara remarked that Akpabio, who is the Dan Amanan of Azara
in Nasarawa State, was more deserving for the purpose of national unity and fairness.
Attesting to the points already made above, Azara said that “It is worth of mentioning that all geopolitical zones of the country have had a fair share of the office, but the South-South has been marginalised for a long time, considering their contributions to the national treasury”. He also stressed that Akpabio, being a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, former Senate Minority Leader, and a former minister, is very experienced and qualified for the post of President of the Senate of Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Additionally, he stated that Senator Akpabio contributed immensely to the success of the APC presidential primaries last year as he was the first presidential aspirant to step down and throw his support behind Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a situation that reduced and doused the palpable tension at
the APC presidential primaries held at the Eagle Square, venue of the event in
Abuja at that historic occasion. Finally, he described Akpabio as an uncommon leader who always stands for the people, irrespective of their ethnic and religious affiliations.
Obviously, Azare has marshalled most of facts nationally known and appreciated about Senate Godswill Akpabio’s capacity and capability as a prime Nigerian political leader with legitimate claim to the Senate Presidency, suffice to add here that the uncommon paces-setting Nigerian leader from the South-South geopolitical zone of Nigeria is also a quintessential lawyer.
Finally, in his eight years as the Executive Governor of Akwa-Ibom State, Akpabio out-performed all his contemporaries in every sphere of governance in Nigeria that he was (and still being) nationally and admiringly called the UNCOMMON GOVERNOR; a feat he also replicated as Minister of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria.
Without fear or favour, these are testimonials to the fact that the South-South should produce next Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Senator Godswill Akpabio is a most qualified man for the job.
Dapo Olaosebikan (dapolash@yahoo.com), author, veteran journalist and publisher writes from Lagos
DISCLAIMER
The OPINION / COLUMN is authored by independent contributors to the National Accord Newspaper. While contributors adhere to our editorial guidelines, they are not employed by the National Accord Newspaper. The perspectives and opinions expressed herein are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of the National Accord Newspaper or its staff.
Leave a Reply