The race for the presidency of the 10th National Assembly might take an unexpected turn with the entrance of a dark horse, as leaders from the North and South-West are intervening amid the growing dispute over the selection of the National Assembly’s top officers.
The current struggle has divided the ruling All Progressives Congress into factions loyal to either the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, or the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The silent discord between the two camps emerged following the micro-zoning of the Senate President to Senator Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State.
This has caused rifts among legislators from the six geo-political zones of the country and has further stirred ethnic and religious differences.
Concerned about this situation, elder statesmen from the North, including two former military heads of state, and prominent traditional rulers from the North and South-West have engaged key senators to ease the country’s tension.
A senator-elect, who spoke on the condition of anonymity with Vanguard, revealed that these leaders individually urged senators, especially those from the North, to prioritize Nigeria’s unity and national cohesion when deciding on Assembly leadership.
The senator-elect shared, “They are talking to us, especially those who have declared interest in the presidency of the senate to drop their legitimate ambitions for the sake of unity and cohesion of Nigeria and support the Southern region in producing it.”
The senator-elect confirmed that Northern senators were not initially against the South producing the Senate president. However, they were taken aback by the President-elect’s unilateral choice of Senator Akpabio.
This resulted in fears that an Akpabio-led Senate might reignite resource control agitations, which Northern senators deeply oppose.
From the North, the contenders are Abubakar Yari, Jibrin Barau, and Sani Musa. From the South, the aspirants are Osita Izunaso, Orji Kalu, and Godswill Akpabio. Unconfirmed reports suggest former Governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomole, may also join the race.
