More South South elders, leaders, traditional institutions, community leaders and politicians have advocated for a Senate president from the region.
Some of the leaders, including the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) and the Ijaw National Congress (INC) stressed that ceding the Senate presidency and other key positions in the National Assembly to the South South is the proper thing to do for fairness, equity and justice, as well as for the country’s political progression.
Speaking during an interview with The Guardian, yesterday, the National Publicity Secretary of PANDEF, Ken Robinson, said: “For us in PANDEF, we don’t have any specific person we are interested in. All we need is just someone that will represent the interest of the region, and we think after 24 years of democratic governance since 1999, the South South deserves a Senate presidency.
“In a statement we put out recently, we stated that the last time someone from the South South occupied the office of the Senate president was during the Second Republic (1979/1983), when the late Senator Joseph Wayas, from Cross River State, was elected, first in October 1979, and, again, in October 1983, before the said republic was truncated on December 31, 1983.”
“But the position of the Senate president was like a birth right to the South East from 1999, and, now, we have Senator Omo Agege as the Deputy Senate President, and I think it should be upgraded to the Senate President; that’s the right thing to do.”
Robinson said the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, was a Senator and the wife has also been a three terms Senator. Hence, they are trusting that their experience should enable better and balanced working relationship with the current National Assembly members to ensure equity, fairness and justice.
