Stakeholders in the North have urged the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, to prioritise national interest in the choice of the next leadership of the Senate, saying personal and parochial interests of former leaders in the National Assembly robbed the nation of good policies.
This was as the National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Abdullahi Adamu, charged Nigerians to ensure a smooth transfer of power from President Muhammadu Buhari to a new President.
The former Secretary-General of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Col. John Ubah (rtd), and the Coordinator of Arewa Professional League (APL), Murtala Abubakar, said, yesterday, that unless Tinubu looked beyond ethnic and parochial considerations for his support of the next leadership of the Senate, the nation might not move forward under his government.
Ubah, who was also the former Military Administrator of Kebbi State, said some individuals were positioning themselves for the next Senate leadership for parochial reasons, and not what they could do to move the country forward.
He said: “What people are carting away now in the name of emoluments are outrageous under the present economic reality; it is not in the interest of the people, who are wallowing in poverty.”
According to him, the fat emoluments is the reason for the scramble for the National Assembly leadership He urged the next President to get things on track for national development and good governance.
On his part, Abubakar said the president-elect must go into serious consultation with all the political parties, to bring about good leadership for the Senate.
“So, the president-elect and party need to look deeper and come out with a framework that will convince other political parties, maybe the Labour Party (LP) and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), to see reason with them to form the leadership of the Senate. In doing this, there has to be consensus and accommodation,” he said.
Addressing pro-democracy groups under the aegis of the Natives at the APC national secretariat in Abuja, insisted that “Tinubu is hale and hearty to lead Nigeria.”
He was alluding to the claim by the opposition that Tinubu was not fit enough to cope with the rigours of administering the country. Said he: “Today, through your concerted efforts, in collaborating with us, voting for us, we have a president-elect.
“He took time off because of the rigours of the campaigns. We thank God he is back. I was with him and members of the National Working Committee (NWC). He is hale and hearty. He is rejuvenated and ready to work.”
Supreme Leader of the Natives, Smart Edwards, expressed gratitude to the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) and the Adamu-led NWC for the party’s victory in the presidential poll. He described Tinubu’s emergence as victory for all tribes and tongues in the country