The Senate spokesman, Ajibola Basiru politically known as SRJ has denied reports that the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had zoned the office of presiding officers for the 10th National Assembly.
SRJ said the zoning arrangement would be unveiled after the ongoing Ramadan fast.
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs spoke yesterday when he appeared on Channels Television’s morning programme, “Sunrise Daily”.
Some senators-elect have indicated interest in major positions in the Upper Chamber.
They include Sani Musa (Northcentral), Orji Kalu (Southeast), Jibrin Barau (Northwest), Godswill Akpabio (Southsouth), Dave Umahi (Southeast), Ahmad Lawan (Northeast), Ali Ndume (Northeast), Abdulaziz Yari (Northwest), and Osita Izunaso (Southeast), among others.
At least, nine House of Representatives-members-elect have also joined the race for the position of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
They include Murktar Aliyu Betara (Northeast); Aminu Sani Jaji (Northwest); Idris Wase (Northcentral); Benjamin Kalu (Southeast); Ado Doguwa (Northwest); Yusuf Gagdi (Northcentral); Princess Mariam Onuoha (Southeast); Makki Abubakar Yalleman (Northwest); and Abdulraheem Olawuyi (Northcentral).
Senator Ajibola Bashiru insisted all senators-elect are qualified to vie for the positions, if competent to be presiding officers.
He then stressed that the APC National Working Committee (NWC) and the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) had not taken any decision on particular geopolitical zone that would produce the next Senate President.
He said,
“I am not aware that the NWC of our party has taken a position on the issue of zoning and where the zoning will be done.
“I am not aware that the NEC of our party has taken any decision. But party leaders will be making a lot of permutations to ensure a seamless relationship between the executive and the legislative arms.”
SRJ said President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu would act like a statesman on the matter, taking into consideration the diversity and heterogeneity of the Nigerian society.
He stated,
“The leadership of the party as well as the members of the 10th Assembly will have to look at so many variables.
“For instance, arguments may be canvassed, like the religious argument, that the President is a Muslim, the Vice-President is a Muslim. Will it not be reasonable to have a Christian as the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives?
“You cannot wish away such argument, particularly when you see the divisive nature that politics has taken in recent time in Nigeria.”
Bashiru said the APC had not been unfair to the Southeast, assuring that the party’s leadership would take a decision on zoning the leadership of the 10th National Assembly at the end of the Ramadan fast.
He said,
“I believe that our party will ultimately take a decision on the zoning, possibly after Ramadan and certainly before June when the next Assembly will be convoked.” According to him, some of the parameters to be considered for choosing the next Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives include ranking, competence, capacity, and religion.”
The Senate spokesman also said the zonal contribution to the victory of Bola Tinubu in the February 25 presidential election, among others, would be a major consideration.
SRJ added,
“It will be in the best interest of our party to zone the offices so that we can narrow the number of contestants. This is because when you have eight persons from a single political party contesting, it creates a problem for us to having a cohesive force going into the election.
“The APC won majority of the legislative seats during the elections with over 55 Senate seats out of 109 and over 160 out of 360 House of Representatives seats.”
