Arewa youths, groups, seek support for Akume, Saraki as Senate President

EVEN as some unconfirmed reports said the victorious All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned the position of Senate presidency to the North Central geo-political zone, more groups have continued to solicit support for Senate Minority Leader George Akume and Dr. Bukola Saraki for the top post in the country’s upper legislative house.

Arewa Youth Agenda (AYA) at the weekend declared support for the Senate presidency bid of Senator Akume. Chairman of AYA, Mustapha Sani, who addressed reporters in Abuja, maintained that Akume has the required pedigree to lead the 8th session of the National Assembly.

And in Ilorin, Kwara State, a socio-cultural group, Forum for Equality and Development of the North Central zone has canvassed support for the candidature of Senator Bukola Saraki as the next Senate President of the 8th Senate.

In a statement signed by Mr. Ezekiel Issa and Bamidele Opeloyeru on behalf of delegates from Kogi, Benue, Nasarawa, Kwara, FCT Niger and Plateau states, the group paid tribute to the leadership of APC for allotting the position in the zone. ‎ They contended that in consonance with the creed of equality, which is the watchword of the Forum, they believed that while any of the states or and Senators were qualified, but it should rightly be conceded to Kwara state ahead of Benue this time around. They insisted that Benue has had three shots at the position, while Kwara has never had a chance.

“Even though the position belongs to all the aforementioned states it should be recalled that Senators Iyorchia Ayu and Ameh Ebute took turns succession as Senate President during the IBB /Abacha era.

And in the past eight years Senator David Mark from Benue State has occupied the position. Along the same path, according to the forum Plateau and Nasarawa states took the slot of North Central zone when Senator Ibrahim Mantu and Senator Salihu Abubakar occupied the position of Deputy Senate President at the threshold of this 4th Republic.

They added, “All these happened while Kwara which also had a claim to the throne waited patiently and supported them all. The AYA said further “That the Nigerian Senate must and should put a square peg in a square hole and not a square peg in a round hole if at all they want to get it right and meet the aspirations of Nigerians.

Saraki

The Arewa Youth Agenda believes that distinguished Senator George Akume, the present Senate Minority Leader has all it takes and deserves to be elected by his colleagues to lead them in the 8th Senate. “Among those gunning for the post of Senate president, he stands tall like an Iroko tree. For one, no anti-graft agency is hunting him and he is not under bail from any quarter, neither is he a regarded as questionable character. He doesn’t look back or sideways when walking out.

The group thereby urged the president elect, members of the national working committee (NWC) the board of trustee (BOT) to consider the aspiration of Akume who would help ensure the actualisation of the needed change in the polity.

And in Makurdi, Benue state capital, the Tiv Youth Assembly (TVA) in a communiqué issued at the end of its inaugural meeting argued that apart from zoning which favours the Senate Minority Leader, Akume is also qualified by merit given his experience over the years as governor for eight years and senator for the third time.

The communiqué, which was signed by Coordinator of the assembly, comrade Elijah Terdoo Ikpanor and made available to The Guardian, reads in part. “While it is widely believed that Senator Akume should be given the Presidency of the Senate merely on geographical grounds, we make bold to say that Senator George Akume truly deserves to be Senate President, because he merits such a position”.

They further argued that as governor of Benue State from 1999 to 2007, Akume was awarded the best performing governor in the North Central zone, an achievement they noted made him emerge as the first person to govern the state for eight years and then proceed to the Senate serving for three terms now.

The communiqué further noted that Akume greatly improved on Benue’s housing challenge by building unit houses for civil servants, adding that his housing policy led to the building of judges quarters on Gboko Road, New Assembly Quarters at Nyiman, BIPC Quarters in Nyiman, Owner Occupier Housing estate on Abu King Shuluwa Road as well as other numerous Units in North Bank and other areas of the State.

“It is our resolve that Senator Akume deserves the Senate top seat because of the role he played in returning the north central which used to be a strong hold of the PDP into the fold of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

The Guardian reliably gathered that the residence of Dr. Akume at Judges quarters in Makurdi, Benue state capital and in Abuja at Maitama have turned to a Mecca of sorts or Jerusalem pilgrimage.

In Abuja, serving senators, senators-elect, governors and top party leaders have on daily basis thronged to Senator Akume’s residence to pay homage to him even as the three terms senator is said to be highly favoured by the party leadership to clinch the Senate presidency, if the APC would zone the position to North Central.

In Makurdi, Akume’s residential home located at the George’s Quarters has it own share of visitors coming from far and wide across the nation to show their solidarity.

Senator Akume’s George’s residence house saw a retinue of groups including, the leadership of National Democratic Vanguard, Sha- Ya Professionals, Benue People For Akume, etc. singing solidarities songs.

One of them, Dr. Ayem Tsueka told The Guardian that it is their desire that Akume be made Senate President haven justified his capability in uniting the people in the North Central zone.

Other names being trumpeted by various groups and associations include former Kwara State Governor, Dr. Bukola Saraki, his former Nasarawa State counterpart, Adamu Abdullahi and former Works Minister and erstwhile National Chairman of the Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, Barnabas Gemade as potential contenders.