10th NASS leadership: Vote your conscience,  Ohanaeze Ndigbo S/East lawmakers

 

.Zone Senate Presidency to zone,  human right activist tells Tinubu, APC

.As N/Central group urges Musa, Wase, Gagdi to withdraw from race

 

Adekunle Adesuji, Abuja and Daniel Dauda, Jos

 

The Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural group, has called on federal lawmakers from the zone in the 10th National Assembly to vote for its principal officers based on their conscience.

 

Dr.Chiedozie Ogbonnia, National Publicity Secretary, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Sunday.

Ogbonnia said that the group is not in agreement with the zoning of key offices of the 10th National Assembly as proposed by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

He said that the apex Igbo group leadership, under Chief (Dr.) Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, agreed to direct all Igbo lawmakers to vote according to their discretion.

Ogbonnia said that the Igbo apex group rejects the principle of zoning of principal offices of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He said the group, after due evaluations and considerations, described the allocation of the position of the Deputy Speaker to the South East as highly disgusting and provocative to the Igbo race.

 

“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has watched with keen concern the zoning of principal offices of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

 

“We have also observed that the APC zoned the position of the Deputy Speaker to the South East of Nigeria, and this we considered to be unacceptable,” he said.

 

According to him, the lawmakers should have the best interest of the nation at heart in all their duties as national legislators to ensure that longings of the geo-political zones would be addressed.

 

He said that the federal lawmakers should be independent in their core decisions and work in a harmonious manner irrespective of their political parties, religion or ethnicity to bridge any gap of disunity.

 

Meanwhile, a Jos-based human rights activist and member of  civil society organization (CSO)

Mazi Gilbert Chinedu has called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the APC to zone Senate Presidency to South-East if truly Nigerians are sincere that they belong to one nation.

He also argued that for the sake of justice, equity and fair play, South-East geo-political zone should be given an opportunity to produce the next Senate President.

Chinedu spoke with Daily Champion ahead of the June 13th inauguration of 10th National Assembly even as the struggle for who occupies the position and speaker, House of Representatives intensified weekend.

 

Investigation by our correspondent has also revealed that those jostling for the positions of Senate President and House Speaker have been in constant consultations across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria to be elected.

Recall too that the National Working Committee, NWC, of the ruling APC and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had since endorsed Senator Godswill Akpabio and Hon.Tajudeen Abass to be 10th Senate President and House of Representatives Speaker respectively.

Their endorsement has continued to generate mixed reactions with majority of Nigerians warning APC against handpicking the leadership of the National Assembly to avoid shooting itself on the foot.

But speaking with our correspondent on the issue, the human rights crusader said: “Talking about capability in terms of representation, there are capable hands in the 10th Senate most especially under the platform of APC who can drive the leadership of the Senate excellently.

“But, my concern is that President Bola Tinubu and APC acted by imposing leadership of the National Assembly as if they are part of the legislators.

“Nigeria adopted democracy as a form of government, and in democracy there is separation of powers in which both the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary each had their constitutional.

“For APC and President Tinubu to start interfering in the affairs that is not theirs, it means we are heading towards doom days of the past….

“If you critically look at the composition of both 10th Senate and House of Representatives members is the mixture of different political parties this time around. That is to tell you that Nigerians are anxious and eager to see the change in the annals of representation in both chambers.

“APC and President Tinubu should allow the lawmakers choose their leaders in line with the constitutional provisions to avoid continuation of rubber stamp.

“We pray the legislators will not lose its independence, as the 10th Senate and House of Representatives is going to be quite interesting and

intriguing considering the mixture of people from different parties that have emerged for the legislative business”, Chinedu stated.

Among those who have advised APC and Tinubu to zone senate presidency to South East are the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA),

 

10th Assembly: Withdraw from race, N/Central group  tells Musa, Wase, Gagdi

 

Meanwhile, following the appointment of the former Governor of Benue State, Senator George Akume as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), three contenders from the North Central for the National Assembly leadership , have been urged by the stakeholders in the North Central  to withdraw from the race.

Last week Friday , President Tinubu appointed Akume as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

The appointment came few weeks after the North Central protested against the zoning of the deputy Senate President and the Speaker’s position to the North West geo-political one.

While Senator Sani Musa has indicated interest for the Senate President, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase and Rep Yusuf Gagdi are contesting for the speaker’s position.

One of the groups that protested the zoning arrangement was the North Central Progressive For Development (NCPFD).

However,  at the weekend, the NCPFD’s Chairman, Comrade Ibrahim Tajo, in a statement, said the reservation of the region has been addressed by President Tinubu with Akume’s appointment.

“To the glory of God, our zone now has two key figures in the government. Aside from the SGF, another prominent leader of our zone in the person of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, a former governor of Nasarawa State has been the National Chairman of our great party, the APC in the last 15 months.

“While Senator Adamu, controls the affairs of our party through the instrumentality of the National Working Committee (NWC), our brand-new SGF is the engine room of Tinubu’s administration. Thus, President Tinubu has wiped away our tears in the North Central geopolitical zone.

“Weeks ago, when the positions of the Deputy Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives were zoned by the president and the leadership of our great party to the North West geo-political zone, we protested against the sidelining of the North Central and appealed for the review of the zoning arrangement given our contributions to the Tinubu’s presidency during the presidential election.

 

“To whom much is given, much is expected, with this, we need to double our support to the president to enable him to deliver his pact with Nigerians as captured in the Renewed Hope Agenda.

“Since 1999 when the country returned to civil rule, six persons have been appointed as the SGF, none of them came from the North Central while the North East has produced four occupants of the office namely; Babagana Kingibe, Mahmud Yayale Ahmed, Babachir David Lawal, and the immediate past occupant of the office, Boss Mustapha. The South East and South South had produced one occupant of the office in the persons of Anyim Pius Anyim and Ufot Ekaette, respectively. This is the first time that the position has been given to us.

 

“For our three brothers, who are in the race for the National Assembly leadership, it is time for them to withdraw from the race in line with the decision of the president and our party. Don’t rock the boat, we have been rewarded,” he