Why next Senate President should go to North-east

Who could have predicted that sharing of leader­ship positions in the legislature would turn out to be a big migraine for the All Progressives Congress (APC) so soon after a landslide victory in the general elections? That the APC did what has never been done in Nige­ria, a hitherto opposition, wresting power from the ruling party through peaceful means – the power of the thumb at elections – means that we can get things done the right way if only we want to.

But managing that success would be tested in the days to come. Almost a month after conclusion of the Na­tional Assembly elections, the APC is yet to come up with an agreeable zoning formula for leadership positions in the National Assembly where it swept away the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) from power.
All eyes are now on the powerful National Executive Committee of the party; the only organ of the APC that can make a definite pronouncement on which zone will get what. In the meantime, the party’s National Working Committee has been saddled with the responsibility of brainstorming on the zoning proposal, which the body would present to the NEC for ratification. It is no mean task.
Reports in the media point in the direction of the North-central for either the Senate presidency or Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Many political watchers have argued that bequeathing these exalted seats, es­pecially that of the Senate president to the North-east would be giving too much to the North, which already has the presi­dency. The President-elect, Gen. Muham­madu Buhari is from Katsina State in the North-west region.
It can be rightly argued, however, that the North has earned the right to the posi­tion, having delivered more seats in the legislature to the APC. On the contrary, the PDP lost most of its seats in the North, especially the North-central where it had relative control.post by expdonaloaded.blogspot.com
States like Kogi, Kwara, Benue and Nasarawa have now joined the APC train, shooting up the numbers of APC lawmak­ers in the Senate to 60, while PDP now controls 48 seats. But the zone, which has been consistent in producing the most legislators for the opposition (now ruling party from May 29), has been the North-east.
Of the six-geopolitical zones, the North-east has been particularly shortchanged in the power equation in the National As­sembly. During former President Oluse­gun Obasanjo’s tenure from 1999 to 2007, the North-west maintained a grip on the speaker’s office with Salisu Buhari, Ghali Na’Abba and Aminu Masari holding sway in succession.
After Obasanjo’s exit from power, the PDP zoned the position to the South-west, leading to the emergence of Patricia Etteh and Dimeji Bankole, whose tenure ended in 2011. The grip of the South-west was cut short, following the revolt by members of the House against the zoning arrangement and the subsequent election of Hon. Aminu Tambuwal, as speaker of the House till date.
The North-east counted its loss in 2011 when contrary to the zoning arrange­ment that would have given it the deputy speaker slot, Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, from the South-east was elected instead along­side Tambuwal. The region was left with no principal office in both Senate and House of Representatives.
The deputy speaker is so far the highest position the North-east has occupied in the National Assembly since 1999. From 2007-2011, the region only produced former deputy speaker under Bankole, Us­man Bayero Nafada, from Gombe State.
The zone is the third most populous in Nigeria after North-west and South-west, having the highest number of minority tribes, who have always been schemed out and marginalised in the country’s power sharing arrangement. It is also contending with the devastating effect of Boko Haram insurgency, hence the need for its leaders to be rightly positioned to bring the much-needed rehabilitation to the region.
The states of Borno and Yobe have especially been consistent since 1999 in keeping the opposition strong in the National Assembly. The zone also has the most ranking members in the National Assembly, making it the most qualified to produce the next president of the Sen­ate, according to the Rules of the Red Chamber.
In the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections, the North-east produced the second highest number of votes for the APC and second highest number of federal lawmakers for the party.post by expdonaloaded.blogspot.com
It has been reported that the APC’s NWC is favourably disposed to zoning the Senate president to the North-central but that would be against the principle of jus­tice and fairness. In the March 28 National Assembly poll, the North-central produced 13 senators while the North-west elected 14 senators. Out of the 13 senators from the North-central, only six are ranking while the North-east has seven ranking senators.
Moreover, since the North-central has been in the saddle since 2007, with David Mark, completing his second term as the Senate president, it is time to look elsewhere and, in the spirit of cohesion and sense of unity, zone the post to the North-East which has been left out in the cold since 2007.
Already, interested senators have since commenced lobbying of the national lead­ership of the APC and are demanding that the choice of Senate president be done in line with the Senate Standing Rules (2011, as amended).
The Senate rules, which applied in June 2011 when Mark was re-elected as Senate president, gives preference to any serving senator who is re-elected to the chamber.
Based on the ranking rule, the North-east caucus has tipped Senator Ahmad Lawan for Senate president.
Senator Lawan was first elected into the House of Representatives in 1999 where he served two terms. In 2007, he was elected into the Senate and was re-elected for a third term on March 28.