A group under the auspices of North West Progressive Forum (NPF) has hailed President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s neutrality on the debate for the leadership of the National Assembly, particularly the Senate.
The Forum expressed satisfaction that Tinubu did not show he has an anointed candidate for the number three position.
The group called on the President-elect to resist the temptation of being dragged into a situation that would pitch him against the interest of his most reliable ally, the North-west.
Briefing newsmen in Kaduna, the convener, Nasir Dambatta, said the NPF and associates from the South-South and the South East zones met and reviewed developments regarding the debate on which regional blocks should produce the next Senate president.
He said the conference, after reviewing developments in the country regarding the regional permutations for the Senate presidency and other key National Assembly positions, has also taken cognizance of claims that some of the contenders have been anointed.
“We are, however, not bothered by these permutations as they are already part of our democratic culture. We note especially the twist taken by the debates that has potentially pitched the President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu against the Northern region, which gave him the most votes in the February election,” Dambatta said.
He pointed out that the North generally played a vital role in the electoral victory of the Asiwaju and the All Progressives Congress, adding that the North-west is on record as providing the highest percentage of votes of over 30% over and above every other geopolitical zone in the country.
“It is noteworthy to recall that Asiwaju Tinubu scored a total of 8.79 million broken down into: -North West: 30.0%, -South West: 25.9%, -North Central: 20.0%, -North East: 13.5%,-South South: 9.10%, -South East: 1.45%.
“We find it ridiculous, therefore, that even a zone that contributed a meagre 1.45% is finding it convenient to seek the Senate presidency.”
Dambatta highlighted a number of resolutions reached at the meeting which included commending the mature and reserved silence of the President-elect Tinubu in the face of the mounting pressure of the moment, “which we hold as golden.”
“We, therefore, call on the President-elect to resist the temptation to be unduly dragged into a situation that will pitch him against the interest of his most reliable ally, the North-west.