*Says Zoning against wishes of majority of electorate*Back Yari for position
By; JACOB ONJEWU DICKSON
While reeling out the statistics that played out at the February 25 presidential elections in the country, the Northern Consensus Movement has said that by virtue of the region’s massive votes that saw to the emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate as winner of the polls, the North deserves to get the Senate Presidency.
The group expressed this at a press conference held on Saturday in Kaduna.Speaking during the briefing, the group said that, “
It is a well known fact that, the North is always a determining factor for anybody winning an election particularly the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or any political position in the country since pre-independent era.
“Politics is a game of numbers if anybody out numbers you, you therefore, have to accept it, the issue of zoning of Principal officers of the 10th National Assembly should never be an issue that will generate unnecessary controversy that will go against the democratic ethics of majority carry the board,” the group said.
They therefore, pointed out that the zoning of principal officers for the 10th National Assembly by the APC’s National Working Committee (NWC), is against the wishes of the majority of Nigerians that cast their votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in anticipation of compensation of the labour or the suffering encountered during electioneering campaigning which gave the APC candidate, His Excellency, Senator Ahmed Asiwaju Bola Tunubu winning vote above others Presidential candidates.
“It’s clear that, the Northern Nigeria produces the highest votes in the just concluded 2023 Presidential election with over five million five hundred thousand votes out of over eight million seven hundred thousand winning votes to President-elect of APC Ahmed Asiwaju Bola Tunubu.
“For clarity, fairness and justice to the entire North which produces the highest votes, the need to allow the democratic process, ethics and principles to prevail in the cause of electing Principal officers for the 10th Assembly. In the 2023 Presidential election the need to consider the contribution made by zones is very paramount not imposition of individual minority votes on the majority for selfish interest of the few, the North West produced the highest votes with over two million seven hundred thousand, followed by South West with over two million two hundred thousand votes, followed by North Central with over one million seven hundred thousand votes, followed by North East with over one million one hundred thousand votes, followed by South South with over seven hundred thousand votes and the least among all the zones is South East with over one hundred thousand votes respectively,” they recalled.
According to them, “It’s alleged that, the NASS Clerk may amend rules on inauguration day as directed and the NWC of APC will be at the venue during the election that day, thinking that their presence can intimidate lawmakers as they make last-minute moves to elect their leaders and to protect the interest of their electorates and regions.
“The APC had zoned the Senate President to the South-South which contribute second to the last in the zonal contribution of the victory for APC in 2023 Presidential election to worsen the situation it was zoned to PDP winning state, Akwa Ibom where PDP had 214,012 votes against APC with 160,620 votes.
The North Central that produced third winning vote with over one million seven hundred thousand votes were totally forgotten in the compensation of their suffering of the campaigning rewards.
“Therefore, the NCM has always spoken for the majority of the Northerners and resolved to consider anointing and we are in support of His Excellency, Abdulaziz Abubakar Yari as the President of the 10th Senate,” they said..
They demanded that, ” the President of the 10th Senate should come from North West, being the highest producer of votes that gave APC the winning, the second contributor has already held the position of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and we’re calling for the NWC of APC to please consider our request to allow the democratic principles and ethics of majority carry the board to prevail, not to strangle the North and place us at disadvantaged stage which our unborn children will never forgive us.”
