In a move that has generated a lot of attention in political circles, a coalition of various Northern groups has endorsed Senator Godswill Akpabio for the position of Nigeria Senate President. This development comes at a time when there is a lot of debate around the issue of who will take the helm as the leader of the upper legislative chamber of the country.
The groups, which include the Arewa youth Alliance for Equity, Northern Central Consultative forum for Good Governance, Area Movement for National Unity, APC Northwest Forum Consultative Assembly, and Northern Nigeria Peace Forum, came together to declare their support for Senator Akpabio. They made their position known at a joint press conference held in Kaduna on Friday.
At the conference, Sheikh Abdullahi Ibrahim Mai Kasuwa, who spoke on behalf of the groups, urged the Senators Elect for the 10th Senator to vote for Senator Akpabio as the Next Senate President. He noted that all the aspirants for the office are very experienced and qualified, but Akpabio was more deserving for the purpose of national unity and fairness.
It is worth mentioning that all zones have had a fair share of the office, but the South South has been marginalized for a long time, considering their contributions to the national treasury. Thus, the Northern groups believe that it is time for the South South to have a representative in the position of the Senate President.
Senator Akpabio, who is a former Governor of AKWA-IBOM STATE, a former Senate Minority Leader, and former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, is seen as a very experienced and qualified candidate for the job. His unique qualities and exceptional leadership skills have earned him the praise of the Northern groups, who see him as the best candidate to lead the Senate at this time.
In addition, Sheikh Mai Kasuwa thanked Senator Akpabio for his contributions to the APC Presidential Primaries last year, where he was the first Presidential aspirant to step down and throw his support behind Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a situation that reduced the tension at the APC Presidential Primaries. He described Akpabio as an uncommon leader who always stands for the people, irrespective of their ethnic and religious affiliations.
The Northern groups used the avenue to congratulate President Elect Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu and his running mate Senator Kashim Shettima, and urged them to hit the ground running immediately as Nigerians are eager to see the dividends of the renewed hope.
To further drive home their point, the groups embarked on a peace walk within Kaduna Monopolies with placards conveying their message to Nigerians and Members of the 10th Senate. They also promised to move around Senators Elect from the Northern region to lobby them to vote for Senator Godswill Akpabio.