Former Ogun State Governor and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Chief Olusegun Osoba has called for a meeting of aspirants for the office of Senate President ahead of June 13 inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.
Osoba made the suggestion on Thursday at a meeting of the Non Serving APC Senators held in Abuja.
He was accompanied to the venue of the Forum by another elder statesman, Mallam Tanko Yakassai.
Chief Osoba’s declaration of a meeting with the aspirants was on the heels of appeal by the forum of Non Serving Senators that former Zamfara State Governor and Senator-elect for Zamfara West, AbdulAziz Yari and Senate Chief Whip, Orji Kalu should withdraw from the race in deference to the APC National Working Committee zoning template.
Apart from Senators Yari and Kalu, others still in the race are former National Organising Secretary of the party and Senator-elect for Imo West, Osita Izunaso and Senator representing Niger East, Sani Musa.
The APC NWC had since announced its zoning template and favoured candidates in an arrangement that has Senator elect for Akwa Ibom North West, Godswill Akpabio ( South South) and Senator representing Kano North, Barau Jibrin ( North West) as favoured choices.
One of the contenders, Senator Yari has consistently argued that the zoning arrangement of the APC was skewed against the North power bloc, against the federal character principle and had vowed to reject it.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Osoba said the oppostion against the zoning arrangement was a threat to party cohesion and smooth take off of the Bola Tinubu administration.
He said: “I want to appeal to you on two issues. Let us all organise a serious lobby system by convening a meeting of all aspirants for the position of Senate President in 10th Senate to make them see reason why they should toe the line of the party.
“The Party has decided on zoning and has zoned the positions. We cannot afford to start this government on another crises. The fuel subsidy removal crisis is already there.
“Let us go back to our states and lobby our senators-elect to support the choice of the party. With this, I believe we shall achieve our goal without any hitch.”
In his address, Convener of the Forum, Senator Basheer Lado said the meeting became necessary to ensure that the party position on power balancing between North and South which informed the zoning template was not jeopardised.
The Forum also suggested that traditional rulers like the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’adu Abubakar, was involved in the trouble shooting efforts to placate the aggrieved aspirants.
Senator Lado further raised the alarm that the APC could experience what happened in 2015 when its favoured candidates lost out in the race for leadership of the 8th National Assembly.
He said: “We are equally convinced that there is a need now more than ever to support the party and strengthen its decision in this regard.
“We are convinced that a strong party capable of whipping its members into line stand a better chance to oversight its members in the executive and legislative branches of government and ensuring thereby that the party manifesto and governance philosophy are religiously observed and executed.
“We were all witnesses to the dislocation that occurred when the legislators rebelled against the party and the president to install their own officers against the position of the party during the first four years of the immediate past administration and the last four years of the administration before it.
“Such a scenario immediately breeds an in-house opposition where the party works against itself. It does not bear stating that a lot of time and resources are usually lost in an effort to convince fellow party members to push forward with the programmes of the party.
“It is not an accident that democracies that are running well, including those on our continent, are democracies where party supremacy is respected and supported.
“Parties are organic structures that outlive periodic leaders who come and go with election seasons. They should therefore not be seen as a mere platform for winning elections and kicking down the ladder thereafter.
“Loyalty to the party in countries like South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia and many others on the continent is the beginning of political wisdom.
“APC members of the 10th National Assembly will be traveling a familiar route in Africa by putting the party first. A few African parliamentary leaders such as Rt. Hon. Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, the leader of the National Assembly of South Africa, Rt. Hon. Alban Bagbin, the leader of the Parliament of Ghana, Rt. Hon. Augustine Iyamurenye, the leader of the Parliament of Rwanda, and Rt. Hon. Amason Kingi Jeffa, the leader of Kenya, are all put in positions by the ruling parties of those nations.
“As key players in our party and nation, we are also aware that, in addition to the need for political harmony, regional balancing, and respect for religious plurality, Senators Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jibrin are not only ranking senators but also possess the necessary leadership skills.
“With Senators Akpabio and Barau Jibrin in charge of the 10th Senate, there is no doubt that the National Assembly would provide the necessary synergy to His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to ensure that all Nigerians benefit from good governance and democratic dividends.
“We, therefore, call on all you stakeholders to support this patriotic move. In the interest of Nigeria’s national stability, peace, and party cohesion,we equally request once again that other aspirants withdraw their candidacies.”
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