The choice candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Senate Presidency, Senator Godwill Akpabio, has said of the 109 senators-elect, 69 have endorsed him for the Senate’s top job.
He also claimed that by next month, the numbers of his supporters in the Senate would rise to 85 or 86.
The former Akwa Ibom state governor said this Sunday during a visit to Lagos state Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu.
He said: “Today, we are about 69 in number and it is still growing. We believe that by the time we get to June, we should expect this group to rise to about 85 to 86. All I know is that we are going to win.”
The former minister described the senators-elect supporting his ambition as people with integrity who have nothing to do with money politics.
“I want to assure, Sir, that the people you see seated here are those shunning dollars and shunning pounds and shunning naira. The Senate is composed of men and women of integrity.
“We will not allow Nigeria to be bought. If leadership in the country goes to the highest bidder, I don’t think those like the late President Yar’Adua would have ruled Nigeria. Even the former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, was not even available, I think he was somewhere else, I think Yola, when he became President.
“So, it’s not a function of money. We have seen money politics play out, even though we have not seen it play out in the 10th Senate yet. As a prelude to the inauguration, we have seen what is going on. We condemn it and we believe that integrity should come to play,” Akpabio further stated.
…Sanwo-Olu responds
In his response, Governor Sanwo-Olu said: “I believe that you are best in class because the last election showed that you have to be good to your people for you to emerge as successful. So, I can tell you that whatever part of the country you have emerged from, you are best in class and your people must have seen something outstanding in all of you. And that brings me to the fact that you cannot bring down that trust and that expectation from your people.”
‘….Imposition of candidates bad’
In a related development, a group of concerned Nigerians committed to democratic ideals and independent legislature under the aegis of Citizens Advocacy Group, has rejected what it described as imposition of candidate for the position of the Senate President.
The group said the decision by the leadership of the ruling APC to anoint a candidate for the office is an affront on the principle of separation of power.
CAG in a statement by its Convener, Chris Sunday George and Secretary, Haruna Kabir said: “What the party has done is an autocratic imposition which has no place in a democracy as it poses serious danger to independent legislature and an attack on the principle of separation of power.
“We in the Citizens Advocacy Group believe the concerned Senators-Elect should be allowed to make their choice based on the experience, competence and the qualification of each aspirant.”
“If you are zoning it to a particular zone of the country, you cannot say this is the person that should be the Senate President from that zone when you have other candidates from the same zone who have expressed interest in the position.
“For instance, the position of the Senate President was zoned to the South-South geopolitical zone, are we saying there are no other candidates from that zone who are qualified and competent enough to become the Senate President? The zone alone has six states including Akwa Ibom where the APC’s anointed candidate hails from; Rivers, Cross River, Bayelsa, Delta and Edo States.
“Why should we exclude five other states despite also having qualified Senators-Elect, both new and returning who have the experience to lead the Senate? Politics of exclusion in a democratic setting like Nigeria would only breed enmity, ill-feeling and rancour which the incoming administration cannot afford in a country already deeply divided,” they said.
CAG said: “We believe the race should be thrown open for all the candidates who have expressed interest from the zone to test their strength and popularity in a free and fair contest and anything short of that would not augur well for the smooth take-off of the 10th Assembly.
“At this point in time when Nigeria is faced with multitude of challenges, we cannot afford to inaugurate a new government and the National Assembly on a shaky and controversial note and we can avoid this by not giving room for imposition as the APC leadership has done.
“We reiterate that the decision of the party is not democratic. It is not well thought-out. It is highly offensive and a decision that must not be allowed to stand for the sake of equity and fair play.
“The decision by the National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to impose a candidate on the Senate as the President of the next Upper Legislative Arm of the National Assembly has been generating an uproar in the polity.”