As APC North Central women Group fault zoning arrangement

Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th Assembly, Senator Abdul’aziz Yari says he is very much in the race for the exalted seat of the Senate President.

This is as the All Progressives Congress (APC) north central women group faulted the zoning arrangement for the principal officers’ seats of the National Assembly. Led by Hajia Zahrah Mustapha, the women called for the inclusion of the zone in the zoning arrangement of the National Assembly seats.

The position by the Zamfara-born lawmaker is coming on the heels of speculations that he is under pressure to step down for Senator Godswill Akpabio, the preferred choice of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Yari, however, in a letter to Senators-elect disclosed that he is still consulting his fellow Senators and stakeholders of the ruling APC as part of efforts to actualise his aspiration.

The lawmaker representing Zamfara West District canvassed support from fellow Senators for the President-elect in ensuring human capital and infrastructural development of the country.

Yari called on his colleagues to strive towards ensuring a smooth relationship between the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary.

“While in the Senate, you should always be reminded that you are indebted to your constituencies and should work towards attracting development projects to your people,” he noted.

“This, in the first instance, is the reason you are elected to serve, and this is why you need a Senate President that is compassionate, honest, fair-minded and result driven.

This is the time to eschew religious, tribal, nepotic tendencies and ethnic sentiments in the choice of the President of the Senate, which is first among equals.

“You must therefore not disappoint them in anyway because your actions, inactions, omissions and commissions may affect them directly or indirectly.

“The division among Nigerians resulting from religious, tribal and ethnic sentiments is a narrative we must all work together to change for the country to move forward.

“You must all think up ways to work towards building a better and united country to make it safe for all. The voyage you are embarking on is a journey for the unification of Nigeria.This is an opportunity to rebuild this country in the interest of all.”

Zahrah, who spoke during an interaction with some critical stakeholders of the party in Abuja, argued that the North Central Zone contributed immensely to the victory of the party in the presidential and National Assembly elections.

While calling on the party leadership to revisit the decision to zone, she said that the North-Central must be well integrated in the scheme of things based on the sacrifices and immense contributions made in achieving victory for the party both at the parliament and executive level.

She added that wider consultation with stakeholders must be made to ensure that those that must represent the zone are people of good character, vision and capacity to provide good leadership and representation that would chart a new developmental agenda for the North Central zone.

Zahrah berated the past method of nomination for appointment, which she said always reward those that didn’t contribute to the party’s struggle at the expense of those that worked tirelessly day and night for its success.

She, however, expressed optimism that the party will do what is right and ideal this time around by not only giving the zone proper recognition via appointment but by ensuring that those given are deserving of such positions.