Senate President: Ignoring South East might spell doom For Tinubu administration – Asari Dokubo

A former Niger Delta militant, Asari Dokubo, has justified why the South East geopolitical zone should produce the next Senate President.

Dokubo, in a Facebook live video broadcast on Monday, said the All-Progressives Congress (APC), should zone the 10th Senate Presidency to the South East.

The former militant leader said it would be politically correct to zone the Senate Presidency to the South East because it would mend wounds of the people of the region and bring about unity.

Dokubo said the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu might be set up to fail if the South East is not allowed to produce the Senate President.

According to Dokubo, ignoring the South East might spell doom for his administration.

He said, “But for me, President and my senior brother, give the Senate President to the South East. All of this country must come together as we mend the wounds.

“Any claims that the Igbo are under-represented will be disproved by giving them that position. For the position of Senate President, I have no favourite,” he said.

The race for Senate Presidency

It will be recalled that as the hustle for leadership of the 10th legislature becomes intense, the All-Progressives Congress (APC), has continued in its push to make its nomination, a decision which was deferred till after Ramadan.

Top leaders of the APC, those aspiring for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly and others lobbying for ministerial and other appointments have been besieging the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for his endorsement.

The current Senate Chief Whip and former Abia State governor, Orji Kalu, and former Governor Godswill Akpabio of Akwa-Ibom state are some of foremost contenders for the Senate leadership seat.

Kalu, had, in signifying his interest in the presidency of the Senate, stated: “I will like the party to zone it to my area; to my village in Igbere because the President-elect needs people of high character to work for the masses and make laws that will enable him turn around the economy.”

It was gathered that the ruling party has zoned its choice of Senate Presidency candidate to the South.

With this, there is possibility that the seat may favour either of th South-East or the South-South. Already, the duo of Kalu and Akpabio has become topmost contenders.

For Akpabio, it was learnt that he is attracting support of many party leaders because of his swift withdrawal from the race for the presidential ticket during the primary.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, a group of serving and former members of the National Assembly, led by Eseme Eyiboh, made it clear that the President of the 10th Senate should be made to emerge from the South-South because the Southeast had produced five Senate Presidents in the past.

The group also contended that the South-South gave the APC more votes than the Southeast in the February 25 presidential election.