Senate presidency: South-South group drums up support for Akpabio
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A sociopolitical forum, Coalition of South South Community for United Nigeria, Justice and Equity, has canvased for the emergence of Senator-elect, Godswill Akpabio, as President of the 10th Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Addressing a news conference in Uyo on Monday, Chairman of the coalition, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh, a former member of the House of Representatives, who appeared alongside other members of the forum from different states of the federation, said it was expedient for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the 10th Senate to allow the South-South produce the senate president for the sake of equity.
They reasoned that South-South deserves the slot given as a political compensation for being the producers of the crude oil which serves as mainstay of the country’s economy:
Eyiboh said: “We have taken the brunt of being an oil producing area. We have not benefited from the priority list. It is a request to the APC that we want the position of senate president.”
The forum further observed that “the South-East Region has enjoyed the position for five consecutive times” and declared that they “are not only demanding that the south-south be given the Senate presidency but are also presenting a very competent leader and administrator in the person of Chief Godswill Akpabio, the Senator-elect for Akwa Ibom North West Senatorial District, a man of impeccable attributes, credentials and antecedents.”
Extolling attributes that qualify him for the job, the forum highlighted his professional background as a lawyer, his Pan-Nigerian disposition, his antecedents as Commissioner, Governor, Senator and Minister, intelligence, loyalty to the APC and his charisma.
Furthermore, the forum advised the APC to stick to the model used since 1999 in which Senate President and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives come from the zone that produces the President, while Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy Senate President come from the zone that produces the Vice President.
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