Amidst the pervasive silence of the All Progressive Congress National Working Committee on the zoning of presiding officers of the National Assembly, a group within the ruling party stormed its national secretariat on Wednesday to make case for the South East geo-political zone.
Led by its National Secretary, Mazi Peter Okoroafor, the Coalition of APC Support Group in a letter addressed to the party national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu asked that the office of Senate President of the 10th National Assembly be zoned to the South East.
The Forum argued that conceding the exalted office to the region would mitigate the agitation and cry of marginalisation.
Aside from zoning of the office, the Coalition of APC Support Group equally tasked the Senator Adamu led national leadership to seek for competence, integrity and experience of party management of those aspiring for the office from the south east region.
NIGERIAN TRIBUNE checks revealed that aspirants for the office from the zone include, Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu; Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi and the former National Organising Secretary of the party, Senator Osita Izunaso, who won election last February to represent Imo West senatorial district.
The forum claimed that Senator Izunaso previous stewardship as member of the APC NWC places him in the best position to assume the office of Senate President after the incumbent Ahmad Lawan.
“Without being subservient to primordial argument of state, tribal, religious, regional considerations, emphasis should be placed on character profile, experience, capacity and competence on who should superintend over any arm of Government especially the senate of the 10th Assembly. For the 10th Assembly, the aforementioned should be the yardstick in determining who becomes the senate president.
“As members of the NWC, paramount amongst your reasons for preference on who become the senate president, should be commitment and loyalty to the party, capacity for performance and track record of service in party administration.
“While not objecting to the emotional argument of geo-political consideration, it behoves on the NWC to lean on the balance of justice and equity, and insecurity challenges to concede the senate president position to the South East geo-political zone, where undoubtedly character and competence is remarkably in abundance.
“Only recently, the South East political zone has been overheated by non-inclusivity in principal elective appointments which the NWC can redress by taking proper and judicious decisions on the South East Senate Presidency.
“Going forward, while not overstretching our bounds of advice, we are compelled to further Micro zone the office of the Senate President to a square hole. Having considered the prerequisites reference above, we recommend a man who has Character, experience, capacity, trust and above all loyalty to the party as most suitable for the office of the Senate President. The man best suitable for the office described is Distinguished senator Osita Izunaso, OFR: a ranking senator, the most senior senator from the South East zone in the 10 Assembly, a member of the APC merger committee, APC caucus member, national organizing secretary.”
