APC Governors, South East leaders mull endorsement of Izunaso as Senate President

As the race for the leadership of the National Assembly gathers steam, Governor Atiku Bagudu led the progressives governors forum (PGF) may settle for Senator Osita Izunaso as their preferred choice for the exalted seat of the Senate President.

The move by the governors has been widely endorsed by virtually all the former Senate Presidents from the South East who believe that Izunaso representing Imo West senatorial district is best suited to occupy the exalted seat.

Senator Izunaso met with President Muhammadu Buhari last week at the presidential villa where he presented his certificate of return to him and used the occasion to express interest in seeking the top leadership position in the Senate.

Izunaso’s associates are upbeat that President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu would endorse the candidacy of Izunaso who served as the Director of Presidential Campaign Council, Contact and Mobilisation for South-East for the 2023 presidential election.

Former Senate Presidents from the South East geopolitical zone including Anyim Pius Anyim and Ken Nnamani are said to be disposed to having Izunaso who served as the national organising secretary of the APC between 2015 – 2019 occupy the seat.

“As we speak they are rallying support for his candidacy. Even key monarchs from the South East are also in his support. It all depends on God. But as it stands, with the governors rallying behind him and several Senators elect, he is our next Senate President,” the source who pleaded for anonymity said.

The Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led national working committee (NWC) are said to be looking the way of Izunaso due to his incorruptible pedigree, aside from the fact that he is regarded as a core party man, urbane, competent party administrator, journalist of repute and a lawyer.

It was gathered that the decision to narrow down on Izunaso was informed by the need to zone the seat to the South East geopolitical zone as part of an effort to ensure an even and fair distribution of leadership positions in the polity.

Besides, the impressive outing of the APC in the recently held general elections in the South East further placed Izunaso at a vantage position ahead of his rivals from across the country.

The source explained why the pendulum might swing in Izunaso’s favour thus: “Currently, the South-East has two APC Governors in Imo and Ebonyi States while South-South has only one APC Governor. The status will remain the same post-May 29 with APC retaining the governorship seat in Cross-Rivers.

“In the 10th NASS, South-East will have 6 senators and 6 senators will come from the South-South too. In terms of political representation in APC, South-South has benefited more than the South-East since its formation. Chief John Oyegun and Comrade Adams Oshiomole have been the National Chairmen of the APC while Senator John Akpan Udoedehe from Akwa-Ibom served as National Secretary of the APC. At the moment, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege from Delta State is the Deputy Senate President.

“It is politically wise to stop the Peter Obi and IPOB/ESN wave in the South East and the best way to achieve this is to have a man from the region in top three political positions and on the order of protocols in Nigeria.”

Senator Izunaso graduated from the University of Jos in 1989 with a degree in Political Science and bagged a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the University of Abuja in 1998. To further his postgraduate qualifications, he got a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Calabar. His quest for knowledge and personal development led him to study Law at the Nile University, Abuja where graduated with a First Class Honours. He graduated from the Nigeria Law School Abuja Campus with a Second Class Upper. Senator Osita has also bagged a Masters’s Degree in Law.

Before his sojourn in politics, Senator Izunaso was a journalist. The Senator has a unique credential that no federal legislator past and present in Nigeria can boast of. He is the only person in Nigeria’s history to ever worked as a staff of the two chambers of the National Assembly and later served in both chambers as elected representative of the people. In 1992, Senator Osita worked as the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of House of Representatives, Agunwa Anakwe. He also served as the Chief Press Secretary to Senate President, Chief Evans Nwerem with the return of civilian administration in 1999. He had earlier served as Chief Press Secretary to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Chief Jim Nwobodo from 1995-97 and retained same position with the Minister of Labour and Productivity (1998-1999).

By the time the 10th NASS will open on June 10th, 2023, Senator Osita will be the most ranking Federal lawmaker and Senator from South-East and South-South. He was first elected into the House of Representatives in 2003 and later into the Senate in 2007.

He was a founding member of the APC since 2013 and a member of the merger committee of the then-opposition parties that formed the APC. Senator Osita served as Interim National Organising Secretary of APC and was elected National Organising Secretary from 2013-2014. He was a member of APC NEC from 2014-2018 among other party leadership positions. Between 2018 and 2023, Senator Osita served with distinction as Chairman of many party committees and sub-committees including 2014 Convention Planning Committee, the North-Central Zone Party Registration and Revalidation Committee in 2020.

At the Red Chamber of the National Assembly, he served as Chairman of Committees and member of others; ranging from Rules and Business, Local and Foreign Debts, Housing, Gas, Foreign Affairs and Sports Development. He also sponsored many bills and led debates during plenary sessions.

Senator Osita served as Board Chairman, of the National Automative Design and Development Council. As a philanthropist and Humanitarian, he founded Kpakpando Foundation for Persons Living with Disabilities in 2009.