Senate Presidency: Niger Gov’s Aide Makes Case for Sani Musa

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

The Special Adviser to the Niger State Governor on Politics and Strategy, Alhaji Mohammed Nma Kolo, has said the ruling party should compensate the North-central for the region’s  commitment and loyalty to the party during the last general election.

Kolo, an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain in the state, said the party should reward the zone by allowing it to produce a presiding officer of the 10th Senate.

The APC chieftain, in a statement on Thursday in Abuja, noted that the APC leadership in the state made massive sacrifices that saw the party cross critical turning points leading up to the success of the February presidential election.

Kolo said when the position is eventually micro zoned to the North-central, Senator Sani Musa from Niger State is an eminently competent person for the job.

“It is only fair and decent that with the president from the South-west, vice-president from the North-east, the Senate Presidency should in the interest of equity and ordinary rules of decency be allocated to the North-central where Niger State is eminently qualified for the job,” he said.

The APC chieftain recalled the massive sacrifice made by Niger State and Musa who was prominent.

He said Musa (APC Niger East) deserved to be specially compensated for his “strong commitment to the progress and development of the party”.

According to him, “Sani Musa has carried out numerous assignments for the party, including funding party activities and other logistical support at the local, state and national levels.

“The party should consider retaining its leadership voice at the Senate, and as such, take into mind the services and efforts made by the North-central zone.

“The APC should not to be in a hurry to forget the inglorious days of in-fighting between the Eighth Assembly and the presidency which in many ways affected the government’s provision of the dividends of democracy to the people.

 “The Niger-east senator must be given the opportunity to add value to the leadership of the upper chamber.

“The 10th Assembly and indeed the Senate need a presiding officer that would give necessary stimulus for the executive to provide Nigerians with quality leadership. That is what should be paramount in the mind of everyone, especially the leaders of our dear party, All Progressives Congress (APC).

“We therefore ask the esteemed APC National Chairman, distinguished Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and the Board of Trustees (BoT) of our great party, alongside the National Working Committee (NWC) to consider loyalty to the party in the choice of the Senate presiding officer.

“Also important is the legislative ingenuity, astute leadership qualities in a person who is able to work with the Senate President (SP), as a Deputy Senate President (DSP), that would carry all 109 senators along for a peaceful, effective and efficient legislative service delivery for the country.

“Senator Musa’s ingenuity at using legislative machinery to solve national issues such as electoral matters is seen in a proposal that birthed the card reader used by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in previous elections.

“The card reader no doubt was a major advancement in electioneering in Nigeria.

“To this end, we stress that no other person best fits this description than Senator Musa who has sponsored a total of 26 bills of the 21 per cent total legislations sponsored by North-central senators in the Ninth Assembly.

“We have followed the antecedents of Senator Musa and have come to the conclusion that with current trend, the calibre of new, young and outspoken politicians who are coming on board from the opposition parties, especially the PDP and LP, Senator Musa as DSP would be of immense benefit to our party at the National Assembly level.

“It is also on record that Senator Musa, who has remained a solid rock for our great party in Niger State, contributed immensely to our resounding victory in the state, as he hosted several campaign rallies for our candidates not only in his senatorial district, but the state in general.”