Senate presidency: I will declare after APC’s zoning formula — Sani Musa

The Chairman, Senate Services Committee, Mohammed Sani Musa, has said he will declare for a leadership position in the incoming 10th Senate after the APC releases its zoning arrangement for the election of presiding officers.

Senator Musa, who is believed to be eyeing the senate president’s position, stated this Tuesday while addressing newsmen at the National Assembly in Abuja.

He said the party must ensure religious balance in the configuration of the leadership of the 10th National Assembly for the unity of the country.

Musa, however, said his North Central zone deserved to produce the next senate president having given the APC the highest votes during the presidential election.

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He said, “As a party loyalist, and having an interaction with the party leadership before the governorship and Houses of Assembly elections at the Presidential Villa, the National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, requested that we all keep our intentions until when the party decides to release the zoning formula.”

‘Shelve ambition for S/South’

Meanwhile, APC’s National Vice Chairman (North West), Mallam Salihu Lukman, has asked elected senators aspiring for the senate presidency in the 10th National Assembly to shelve their ambition for South South candidates.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja, Lukman, a former Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), also asked the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC) to widen consultation and become more aggressive in driving the process of negotiating the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

He said this appeal became necessary given the flood of aspirants for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly which if left to continue unregulated could throw up “unexpected” people in the leadership of the federal parliament.

He further said, “Perhaps, to avoid that, consideration can be given for the South South to produce the senate president. If that is to be considered, then the position of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives should be given to the South East.

“As much as I respect every elected National Assembly member from the North West, I will appeal to those aspiring for the position of senate president to step down their aspiration in the overall interest of national cohesion.”