PANDEF pushes for zoning of Senate President to South-South

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has joined the campaign for the South-South to produce the next Senate President.

In a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Ken Robinson, the forum urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the position to the South-South for fairness and equity.

It remanded Nigerians that the last politician from the region to hold the position was the late Joseph Wayas.

Wayas, who hailed from of Cross River State, was the Senate President from October 1, 1979, to December 31, 1983.

The statement read: “Ostensibly, the South-South Zone has an unassailable reason to step up to the Senate Presidency, after twenty-four years of our current Democratic experience. No contrary arguments can stand against this South-South position.

“PANDEF, therefore, implores the President-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, along with other key stakeholders of the APC, and, indeed, all Senators-elect of all parties, and the party hierarchies, to support the ceding of the incoming Senate Presidency to the South-South zone.

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“This is, unarguably, the fair and proper thing to do, at this time of our country’s political progression.

“Whilst agreeing, in parts, with the positions postulated by the Progressive Governors Forum, and sundry individuals, on the subject, PANDEF is disturbed by some of the names reported in the media, to have indicated an interest in the Senate Presidency, in particular.

“The All Progressives Congress, having upheld the principle of rotation of key political offices between the North and the South, in respect of the Presidency of the Federation, is expected to maintain the same modus for the other major elective political offices viz: the Senate Presidency, Speakership of the House of Representatives, and their Deputies.

“Surely, the Leadership of APC cannot be entirely unmindful of the fact that a Muslim Senate Presidency would bring further imperilment to National order, affecting the sorely desired overall stability. A wrong move on this score can only represent a step too far.

“PANDEF, as a body of patriots and proven committed stakeholders, in the Nigerian Project, is compelled to issue this timely advice, in the national interest.”

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