Despite APC Zoning, N’west Coalition Insists on Yari As Senate President

say Party, Tinubu Must Reconsider Action

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja

Various groups in the North-west geopolitical zone under the aegis of

Northern Business Roundtable have insisted that their zone must produce the next Senate President.

The groups demanded the reversal of the zoning arrangements released by the  leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.

They maintained that the APC must respect their position on the matter or risk open rebellion of their members in the Senate during the election and inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

The North-west coalition group said the position should go to Senator-elect Abdulaziz Yari.

The National Coordinator of the Peoples Support Group, Hajia Larai Kolo, spoke on behalf of the Northern Business Roundtable at a press conference in Abuja on Sunday.

The North-west group expressed surprise over the zoning arrangements for the 10th National Assembly leadership positions recently announced by the APC and demanded a reversal of the action.

The group said: “We in the North-west were taken aback and very surprised by the purported zoning announcement and the thought that such could be contemplated, knowing that we bring the highest number of votes to the table during elections.

“To whom much is given, much is also expected, the North-west in the current dispensation and the last presidential election gave the highest votes. 

“Apart from this, it is noteworthy that the APC governors from the North-west led their other colleagues to demand that the presidency should be zoned to the South.

“This alone, common sense should prevail that after the presidency has been zoned and delivered to the South, the vice-president to the North-east, the next position should go to the North-west.

“It will be a betrayal to the people of the North-west if the Senate President is not given to us.

“If the issue is not addressed immediately and anomaly corrected, any senator who votes for anyone who is not from the North-west for the position of the Senate President will no longer enjoy our support and that of our traditional leaders.

“The North-west is particularly concerned about the behaviour of Senator Godswill Akpabio who has been going around to say that any person who does not accept the purported zoning decision postulated by the party’s leadership is fighting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect.

“This is a cheap blackmail and this is in the character of Akpabio. The North-west will not accept this because it has contributed so much to the development of the party.

“Competence, character, and pedigree should determine positions, and Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Zamfara West Senator- elect has what it takes to be the country’s next Senate President, he is well known and has done very well.

“Therefore, we advise that everybody should rally around Yari, the preferred candidate among aspirants jostling for the position of the Senate President, so that there will be balance in the country.”