Groups, individuals, Politicians and Civil Society Organizations have continued to bare their minds on issues of forthcoming leadership of the 10th National Assembly, which all things being equal, is billed for inuaguration in less than 5days.
A pro-democracy group, Coalition for Equitable Democratic Principles (CEDP), has asked former Governor of Akwa-Ibom State Godswill Akpabio to be bold enough to set aside his aspirations for the seat of the Senate President for his own good and in the interest of equity, fairness, justice, and more importantly for sanity and sanctity of the Red Chambers and stability of the country at large, as Nigerians are looking forward to a 10th National Assembly whose leadership is free from anti graft cases and curruption charges.
The National Coordinator of the group Mallam Abdulrahman Bello made the call Thursday 8th of June 2023, during a press conference at the African Democratic centre, Central business District Abuja.
Mallam Bello said, Nigeria as a multi-ethnic entity has since history known to have embraced national integration in all its major policies which led to the establishment of the Federal Character Commission that oversees equitable distributions of national positions and commonwealth amongst the existing geopolitical zones in the country.
The group Coordinator argued that if Southwest has produced the current President of Nigeria, with the Vice President coming from the North, then that it is only fair and just for the Senate Presidency to come from the Southeast, since Southsouth had not quite long ago produced the President in the person of Goodluck Jonathan.
Mallam Bello, a Doctorate degree holder in Political Science opined that no country can progress without adequate and proper democratic balancing, saying that a situation where a section of the country is treated with levity or outright neglect in the scheme of things will continue to promote unwarranted tension and rancorous murmuring among the people of the zone.
Mr Bello said the seat of the 10th Senate President should be zoned to the Southeast so that candidates from the region can be allowed to slog it out amongst themselves.
Mallam Bello further reiterated that the 10th National Assembly should be led by those without baggages of corruption or litigations, saying that it is time Nigeria should get things right haven suffered untold hardship for past 8years.
On alleged preferred candidate by the APC, Mallam Bello said, according to his findings, the NWC of the party have since debunked zoning the position to anybody; saying that imposition of leadership on the Senate could lead to more divisions in the APC and create acrimony between the legislature and executive, which may not be in the interest of the citizens.
Dr Bello affirmed that inadequate and unbalanced endorsement is undemocratic, saying that it promotes mediocrity, incompetence and unhealthy rivalry which can lead to promoting corruption and rubber stamp parliamentary leadership which will be detrimental to the interest of the people.
On zoning the position to the Southeast, Mallam Abdulrahman Bello was asked who amongst the contenders from the zone would he recommend if given the opportunity, the political scientist said "Sen. Orji Kalu and Osita Izunaso are well qualified for the position," saying however, that " in terms of wealth of experience, capacity, capability, decency, independent mindedness, robust and qualitative leadership for the 10th Assembly, Osita Izunaso is the most preferred, he should be given opportunity to serve".