South-South Youths and Stakeholders have unanimously backed the aspiration of former Akwa Ibom state governor, Godswill Akpabio for the position of 10th Senate president.
Indeed, the forum called on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), President-Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, all elected senators and stakeholders to cede the position of Senate president to south-South geopolitical zone.
Specifically, they urged Tinubu to look in the direction of Senator Akpabio for the office of Senate president of the 10th National Assembly.
Addressing a press conference on Monday in Abuja, Chief Legborsi Yamaabana, President-General, Ogoni Youth Federation and Chairman, South-South Youths and Stakeholders noted that for the sake of inclusion and national integration and in line with the spirit and principle of federal character, appealed to stakeholders to support the South-South.
According to him, the region last and only shot at the senate presidency was in 1979, when Joseph Wayas emerged under the administration of Shehu Shagari.
He explained that Akpabio demonstrated uncommon love by sacrificing his presidential ambition for the unification of his party and supported the president-elect at the APC presidential primary election.
“He did not only step down for Asiwaju, but worked assiduously to deliver Akwa Ibom state, and other states of the South-South region” the chairman said.
Yamaabana said “We want to assure the president-elect, that an Akpabio’s senate presidency will ensure a healthy and friction-free relationship between the legislature and executive. That our collectively endorsed candidate (Akpabio) is experienced, equipped and a ranking senator with deep understanding of legislative procedure and processes”.
Continuing, he said the stakeholders from the region have observed with great dismay that no south-South person is heading any of the federal parastatals like the NNPC, FIRS, EFCC, DPR and therefore called on the in-coming president to consider citizens of the geopolitical zone for strategic federal appointments for the sake of fairness and equity.
He also commended President Muhammadu Buhari, for taking steps beyond rhetoric, to ensure that Ogoni clean-up is being implemented, even as he prayed the in-coming administration to re-appoint the minister of environment, Mohammed Abdullahi, saying he has raised the bar of performance.
