A group of former senators have asked Orji Uzor Kalu, chief whip of the senate, and Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara state, to respect the supremacy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and shelve their senate president bids.
Speaking at a meeting on Thursday, Basheer Lado, a former senator representing Kano north and convener of the group, said Godswill Akpabio becoming the senate president is in the interest of the country.
The ruling party had nominated Akpabio, a former minister of Niger Delta affairs, for the position of senate president in the 10th assembly.
The party’s position has been resisted by a number of APC members backing the other aspirants.
Lado said political parties should not be seen as platforms for winning elections.
“With senators Akpabio and Barau Jibril in charge of the 10th Senate, there is no doubt that the national assembly will provide the necessary synergy to His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to ensure that all Nigerians benefit from good governance and democratic dividends,” he said.
“We, therefore, call on all you stakeholders to support this patriotic move.
“In the interest of Nigeria’s national stability, peace, and party cohesion, we equally request once again that other aspirants withdraw their candidacies.”
Speaking at the event, Olusegun Osoba, a former governor of Ogun state, said a meeting of all senate president hopefuls should be convened to sway them to support Akpabio.
“I want to appeal to you on two issues. Let us all organise a serious lobby system by convening a meeting of all aspirants for the position of senate president in 10th senate to make them see the reason why they should toe the line of the party,” Osoba said.
“The party has decided on zoning and has zoned the positions. We cannot afford to start this government with another crisis. The fuel subsidy removal crisis is already there.
“Let us go back to our states and lobby our senators-elect to support the choice of the party. With this I believe we shall achieve our goal without any hitch.”
On his part, Tanko Yakasai, an elder statesman, said the choice of Akpabio is easier to support.
“The person is no other than one of the few among the multitudes of people we know who is privileged to occupy three important positions many of our compatriots will wish to occupy any time such an opportunity presents itself to them,” Yakasai said.
“The personality is no other than a one time governor of his state, a one time minister and presently a senator-elect of the federal republic of Nigeria–my popular, competent and amiable senator Godswill Apkabio.”