The Northern Business Roundtable yesterday said the North West deserves to produce the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly, noting that the zone has been strategic to the All Progressives Congress (APC) victory in recent current and last presidential elections.
The group, while also noting the APC governors from the North West led the demand for the Presidency be zoned to the South, urged senators from the region to close ranks and defend the position of the zone.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, head of the group, Haj. Larai Kolo, said it was cheap blackmail for some persons to argue that those opposed to the APC zoning formula are enemies of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
While noting that competence, character, and pedigree should determine positions, she said former governor of Zamfara State, Senator Abdulaziz Yari, who is Zamfara West Senator- elect, has what it takes to be the country's next Senate President.
She thanked APC national chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu for retracting what she called the "purported and unacceptable zoning decision of the party" earlier published on the leadership of the National Assembly.
She added, "We in the North West were taken aback and very surprised by the purported zoning announcement and the thought that such could be contemplated, knowing that we bring the highest number of votes to the table during elections.
"To whom much is given, much is also expected, the North West in the current dispensation and the last presidential gave the highest votes."
Apart from this, it is noteworthy that the APC Governors from the North West led the front to demand that the Presidency be zoned to the South.
"This alone, common sense should prevail that after the presidency has been zoned and delivered to the South, the Vice-President to the North East, the next position should go to the North West.
"It will be a betrayal to the people of the North West if the Senate President is not given to them.
"Nigeria is not occupied by religion, ethnicity, or primordial sentiments, democracy is a game of numbers and the grassroots are very grieved about the silence of traditional rulers, who in the face of this obvious disregard and insult to the people of the North West have not come up to express their opinion.
"If the issue is not addressed immediately and anomaly corrected, any Senator who votes for anyone outside the North West for the position of the Senate President will no longer enjoy our support and that of our traditional leaders.
"The North West is particularly concerned about the behavior of Senator Godswill Akpabio who has been going around to say that any person who does not accept the purported zoning decision postulated by the party's leadership is fighting Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect.
"This is a cheap blackmail and this is in the character of Akpabio. The North West will not accept this because it has contributed so much to the development of the party.
"It is a national convention that when two sides are on the table distributing positions, leadership is the most important. Since the South has taken the presidency, the next positions should go to the North.
"Therefore, the Vice-President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the President of the Senate should go to the North. This is the acceptable norm.
"As the race for the Senate presidency deepens, North West senators are advised to close ranks and defend the position of the zone.
"We are, however, not saying that the North West is superior to any other part or zone in the federation. Our desire is the country's development and the peaceful coexistence of all.
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"Just as the South insisted that they must have the presidency, that is how the North West is insisting that they should have the Senate presidency and there is nothing wrong with that.
"What is right is right, and what is fair is fair for justice, fairness, and equity so that together, everybody will leave peacefully and happily in the country.
"The issue of religion should not be brought to play in this regard, as Nigerians are one, whether you are a Christian or a Muslim. We must not be denied what is ours on account of our faith and beliefs.
"Competence, character, and pedigree should determine positions, and Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Zamfara West Senator- elect has what it takes to be the country's next Senate President, he is well known and has done very well.
"Therefore, we advise that everybody should rally around Yari, the preferred candidate among aspirants jostling for the position of the Senate President so that there will be balance in the country," she said.
