President Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerien President, Issoufou Mahamadou
President Muhammadu Buhari has given assurance that despite that he is just four days in office as President of Nigeria, he has started the process of ending Boko Haram, even as he expressed confidence in the ability of the Nigerian military to overcome and eradicate the sect. Speaking today at an interactive session with journalists after talks with the President of the Republic of Niger, Issoufou Mahamadou in Niamey, Niger Republic, President Buhari declared: “my administration will bring new impetus and a renewed commitment to the efforts to wipe out the menace of the Boko Haram insurgents. “As a first step, we have directed the relocation of the command post of the counter-insurgency operations to Maiduguri until such a time that the insurgency is completely defeated.” President Buhari declared that the Nigerian Army which has earned a good reputation across the world, remains a virile fighting force. “I am four days in office today and we have already started the process of ending the insurgency. “The ultimate objective however, remains to end the insurgency and facilitate their return to their homes.” He said that in the course of the over five hours meeting he held with heads of Nigeria’s Armed Forces and Security Agencies yesterday, on-going operations against Boko Haram were reviewed for better results. President Buhari said that because of the peculiarities of terrorism, the movement of terrorists across borders and the unconventional nature of the war against terror, Nigeria will continue to seek the support of neighbouring countries in its bid to overcome Boko Haram. The President said that his visit to Niger was to seek more support from the country in bringing a quick end to the atrocities of Boko Haram. President Buhari said he would hold similar meetings on security and the war against terrorism with the Chadian authorities after leaving Niameytomorrow. He said that Nigeria would also require the assistance of other nations and multi-lateral institutions to rebuild areas that have been adversely affected by the Boko Haram insurgency and rehabilitate displaced persons. At the opening of bilateral talks between Nigeria and Niger earlier, President Buhari praised the contributions of his hosts to the on-going multi-national effort against terrorism, insurgency and cross-border crimes. “Permit me also to acknowledge the consistency with which the government and people of Niger Republic have stood beside Nigeria under all circumstances. I would like to convey the appreciation of Nigeria for the sacrifices by Niger in the on-going efforts to counter the menace of the Boko Haram insurgency. “Niger Republic has over the years, proven to be a reliable ally to Nigeria both at bilateral and multilateral levels. It is our hope and aspiration that this special relationship would be further consolidated during my administration. “Another issue of concern to us which is closely associated with the insurgency in the region is the influx of refugees and other displaced persons. We are aware that currently, there are over one hundred and fifty thousand displaced persons comprising refugees and returnees taking refuge in various parts of Niger. “Our administration will work closely with governments of the affected States to continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the displaced persons and their host communities. In his remarks, the President of Niger commended President Buhari for making Niger the first country he will visit after his inauguration. “Your decision to move the military command of Nigeria to the North East has further strengthened our conviction that the war against terrorism will soon come to an end.” He assured President Buhari that Niger will continue to support Nigeria in the fight against Boko Haram.
President Muhammadu Buhari and Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will tomorrow, Wednesday, leave Nigeria for engagements in other countries at various levels.
While President Buhari will head for Chad and Niger to engage in finding solution to the scourge of Boko Haram, Vice President Osinbajo will lead a delegation of government officials to the World Economic Forum on Africa (WEFA), holding in Capa Town, South Africa.
Information reaching us showed that Professor Osinbajo will give a talk on issues related to youth employment and job creation at the three-day forum which is expected to be attended by about 1,250 persons, made up of leaders, government officials, notable public and private sector players, people from the academia and civil society groups.
The focus at the forum will be on infrastructure development, financing for the region, economic growth, entrepreneurship, safeguarding Africa’s democratic dividend, Africa’s mobile technology, data revolution and designing of smarter cities among others, a programme on the WEFA website showed.The forum will also discuss how best to tackle the issues facing the continent, including attention to terrorism.
Agriculture is another sector that most African countries have not fully explored and it will form part of the talks at various meetings.
The immediate past Minister of Finance in Nigeria, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, and Mr. Uche Orji of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority are also attending the forum.
It is hoped that at the end of the three-day meeting, some realistic ideas and practical solutions to Africa’s numerous challenges would be evolved.
Africa has become a hotbed for investment, as it has continued to record good growth potential despite the challenges facing some of its economies.
Conversation will start on Wednesday, June 3 and the forum would try to come up with practical ways of combating the different challenges facing the continent. [myad]
Jordanian Prince Ali bin al Hussein has indicated his interest to contest election for the presidency of world football’s governing football body, FIFA, following the announcement by Sepp Blatter that he is quitting.
Prince Ali had failed in his bid last week to oust Blatter, the Swiss veteran who won a fifth term in Friday’s vote, but then announced today that he was to step down amid a growing corruption scandal.
“As for new elections, Prince Ali is ready,” Sala Sabra, vice-president of the Jordanian football federation which the prince heads up, said.
The Prince, Sabra added, was also ready “to take up the presidency immediately if they ask him.” [myad]
Ogun East Senator-elect, Buruji Kashamu appears to be loosing out in his battle against being extradited to the United States to answer for drug related offence, even as the Nigeria House of Representatives has thrown its support behind the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that has been working round the clock to ensure that he is sent to the US.
A statement by the Head, Public Affairs of the Agency, Ofoyeju Mitchell, said that already notice for the extradition has been issued, adding that it is contained in an application made to the Chief Judge, Federal High Court, Abuja in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/479/2015.
The office of the Attorney-General of the Federation is seeking the extradition of Mr. Kashamu to answer alleged drug trafficking charges, in line with the Extradition Act CAP, E25 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 (as modified by Extradition Act Modification Order, 2014).
According to him, the notice of the suit was officially served on Kashamu by the NDLEA on 1st of June 2015.
This is even as the House of Representatives commended the NDLEA for the bold step taken in the extradition case involving Senator-elect.
The letter of commendation which was signed by the Chairman, House Committee on Drugs, Narcotics and Financial Crimes; Honourable Jagaba Adams Jagaba, said that the Agency’s action would go a long way in building the confidence of the international community in Nigeria.
Honourable Jagaba said that the action of the NDLEA had sent a strong signal that Nigeria believes in the rule of law, adding: “this action has sounded a warning that no longer shall any Nigerian be considered to be above the law, no matter how highly placed. It equally points to the fact that no matter how long it takes, the law would catch up with all that has a case to answer. The Agency has shown that it can work without discrimination.”
The letter asked the Agency not to succumb to blackmail.
“Let me at this juncture, therefore, encourage you not to falter in the face of blackmail. Your detractors will engage in all forms of antics including blackmail to distract you but you must never be deterred. Instead, with every form of distraction, you should be spurred to maintain the dignity of the Agency and do the needful in the interest of Nigerians and humanity,” Jagaba said. [myad]
The 79-year-old President of the world football ruling body, FIFA, Sepp Blatter, who has been on seat for the last 17 years, has announced that he would step down and organize the body in a way that anyone succeeding him would have a defined tenure of office.
Blatter is stepping down in the light of the corruption scandal which has blighted the world governing body, even as he called an extraordinary congress “as rapidly as possible” at which a successor will be selected.
The Swiss announced his decision at a hastily-arranged press conference today after his secretary general Jerome Valcke had earlier been implicated in the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigations into a $10 million payment to indicted former FIFA vice president Jack Warner.
“I have thoroughly thought about my presidency and the 40 years FIFA has played in my life. I love FIFA more than anything else and I only want to do the best. I decided to stand again for election for the good of football..
“My mandate does not appear to be supported by everybody. This is why I will call an extraordinary meeting.
“I will organise an extraordinary congress for a replacement for me as president. I will not stand. I am now free from the constraints of an election. I will be in a position to focus on profound reforms. For many years we have called for reforms. But these are not sufficient.
“We need a limitation on mandates and terms of office. I have fought for these changes but my efforts have been counteracted.”
Blatter has been president since 1998 and was re-elected for a fifth term only four days before his resignation.
Elections to replace Blatter are set to be held between December and March. [myad]
A couple of weeks before the exit of President Goodluck Jonathan and his men and women from the governance of Nigeria, news went round that a head of his media team cornered two brand new Hias buses which were bought for the use of the staff of his department and newsmen attached to the Aso Rock. That he effectively registered them in private numbers instead of State House (SH) numbers and diverted them to his personal (official) house. The sources of the news were those who were supposed to be the direct beneficiaries of the Presidential vehicles. When they discovered that the media head was not making any move to return the buses to them, they ran to the media to make noise. The news was published in some media, including the Greenbarge Reporters (click Here), not only with the details of the vehicles but also with their photographs. Indeed, what was expected of the officer involved in this daylight thievery and looting, in a civilised or, more appropriately, in a decent climes, would have been for him to quietly return the vehicles to the Aso Rock for the use they were meant or, more appropriately too, resign for confirmed stealing. But after the media expo, the officer reportedly pick quarrel with the workers directly under him. He was said to have raved, ranted and roared like a wounded lion. He was even reported to be frantically looking for the publishers and editors of the media that published the news about, apparently, the theft of the buses, to possibly tear them into pieces. He cursed under his panting breath! What happened? The media team head refused or failed blatantly to bulged. He never made any move to return the two stolen buses and the last time I checked, just 24 hours before he checked out, the story was that he had the backing of the ‘man-on-the-top’ to keep the vehicles to himself or was it, to themselves? Like play like play, they left the government and left without returning the brand new buses bought with the Aso Rock money, meant for the use of Aso Rock media staff and damned the consequences. Their action is akin to what is known in crime world as stealing and being bold about it; shame thrown to the dog. Pronto!
Our country is a theatre of idealism, but it is also a home of realists. Nigerians cherish discussions especially on politics and football and it appears most of them give excellent commentaries and analysis on these two games in beer-palours, street corners, informal and formal discussion groups and in social media. They invest so much emotions in the dialectics of the fundamental essence of these games and, by so doing, interrogate or accept different ideas; compare or contrast Nigeria’s standards with those of other countries and generously proffer ideas to improve the performance of this giant of Africa in either football or politics. Generally, Nigerians tell themselves the truth anytime they crave for success. They demonstrate their ability to criticize themselves just as much as they prove that they also possess the capacity to appreciate one another when victory comes their way. The euphoria that engulfs the nation at the end of a fierce international football match or at the emergence of largely acceptable presidential candidate after a free, fair and credible election is incredibly fulfilling. The ecstasy is even therapeutic for a robust nation with great diversities seeking to harness its potentials to ensure progress and advancement. The Nigerian political discourse, for instance, is as multidimensional as it could be of a nation with over 300 ethnic nationalities, multiple religions and a 170 million strong population fused together by a colonial power. It engages the instruments of the idealist and that of the realist; the objective and the subjective; the scientific and primordial as well as the logical and the emotional in its discursive heterogeneity. What invariably comes out as Nigeria’s political verdict in most debates held either formally at Constituent Assemblies or informally in beer-parlour discussions is consensus rather than the strict adherence to the fundamentals. Our people are constrained to deal essentially with what they can do rather than what ought to be done. They seem to say that the law was made for man and not man for the law. In this regard, emotions play a more critical stabilizing factor in reaching a consensus than any other parameter that may bother on logic and the law. I am concerned here with the feeling of empathy which Nigerians evoke at critical times to solve naughty political issues that threaten the fragile fabrics of our confederation. The word, empathy, is not as commonly used as its cousin, sympathy, perhaps because it carries more weight and significance. Everybody talks of sympathy which means simply commiserating or being sorry about someone else’s problems. Empathy goes further than that. It involves showing understanding or being sensitive to someone else’s predicament to the point of vicariously participating in his grief. Empathy is indeed a cryptic current that surreptitiously works its way into the psyche of Nigerian disrupting laid-down procedures, destroying ethnic and primordial sentiments and promoting unspeakable solidarity and camaraderie among Nigerians. On such rare occasions when the spirit of empathy takes possession of the Nigerian nation, the victims of tragedy are very often lifted up, pampered and placed in a position where they could feel reasonably comfortable to call themselves part of the Nigerian community. Several examples abound to demonstrate this phenomenon in our political history. The Late Major-General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua was only a Lt-Colonel in the midst of generals when the then Head of State General Murtala Mohammed was assassinated in 1976. The gravity of the predicament was not merely that a very popular and dynamic Head of State was killed in cold blood. It was because his death marked the second time in Nigeria’s short lifespan that two popular Presidents of Hausa-Fulani extraction would be killed in such a reckless manner. Of course, the entire nation was enveloped in grief. Sympathy messages flooded everywhere and the government then did a lot to immortalize the name of General Mohammed. All these were not sufficient to assuage the misery of many citizens of our country. They needed to be empathized with by practically engaging the victims of tragedy in the political arrangement of the day. The appointment of the then Lt-Colonel Yar’Adua to take the position of military Vice-President in violation of military hierarchy was therefore a necessary step to empathize with the Hausa-Fulani people and to further cement our unity as a nation. The language of empathy is so subtle that it appears most Nigerians cannot easily codify. The Yoruba people did not readily join other Nigerians who were empathizing with them in 1999 by releasing Chief Olusegun Obasanjo from prison and picking on him to run for the presidency of Nigeria. The Yorubas had refused to vote for him in the 1999 elections. At that time, the South West had thoroughly deserved the sympathy of the rest of the country by the way and manner, their son, Chief M.K.O Abiola, was denied the presidency of Nigeria and hauled into jail after winning the credible polls of June 12, 1993. Chief Abiola later died in jail without trial under the tyrannical leadership of General Sani Abacha, who also threw Chief Obasanjo into jail on trumped-up charges of attempting a coup. The nation was outraged by the catalogue of tribulations of their Yoruba compatriots and chose to vicariously identify with them. Chief Obasanjo’s presidency in 1999 was therefore a faith accompli principally because of the consensus of the Nigerian citizens to empathize with the South West on account of those atrocities. As we await the proclamation of the 8thNational Assembly on June 9, 2015, there are strong indications that Nigerians may again resort to empathy as strategy to get out of the seemingly intractable problem the emerging ruling party, the APC, has found itself. The party has publicly confessed its inability to zone the presiding offices of the National Assembly even as it is closely marked by its rivals, the PDP which membership in the Senate is exceeded by just eleven members. So far, the North Central geopolitical zone has provided a water-tight argument as to why the Senate Presidency should continue to be theirs, giving persuasive arguments of how they had pulled the carpet under the feet of PDP to emerge as the best performing zone for the APC in the last presidential and governorship elections. They even cite the presence of the current Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume, among the foremost contestants who should naturally be given the right of first refusal in line with legislative practices all over the world in the race for the Senate Presidency. The zone also parades prominent other names like Senators Bukola Saraki and Abdullahi Adamu as well as exhibits their strong comparative advantages of providing Nigeria with the needed religious and minorities balance in leadership of the three arms of government. All these have, however, not stopped the All Progressive Congress (APC) leadership from leaving the race to be won by means of survival of the fittest, an approach which is capable of plunging the country into dire consequences. However, it appears that the stage is set to once again release the currents of empathy on the citizens to do some soul searching. The focus this time is the North-Eastern geopolitical zone, the area that had for the past six years dominated national and international discussions as the theatre of war, rape, deprivation, mass killings, hunger, deprivation and neglect. The Boko-Haram had declared war on the North -Eastern part of Nigeria in which about 3,900 Nigerians lost their lives including civilians and the military. The area also has a terrible refugee crisis. However, just like the Yorubas were unaware of the national sympathy towards them, it had taken the group of Senators-elect outside the North-East Zone to announce a consensus to unanimously adopt Senator Ahmed Lawan from this zone as President of the Senate in the 8th National Assembly. About thirteen Senators-elect from the North-East Zone comprising those of the President-elect, Mohammadu Buhari’s home state, Katsina, have constituted themselves as the core group of canvassers for Senator Lawan’s Senate Presidency. The General himself has refused to support any particular candidate or zone for this position. But if this gesture by the North-West Senators is not Buhari’s body language concerning this matter, then I do not know what else it is. I guess that the President-elect, having vigorously campaigned for the office using the factor of insecurity in the North-East and having promised a special package for the people of this zone may as well have decided to help in the emergence of Senator Ahmed Lawan as President of the Senate. Secondly, the North Central zone which has a very strong case in the quest for Senate Presidency appears to have listened to the body language of the President-elect hence the subtle withdrawal of a candidate who looked like the heir apparent, Senator George Akume and his consequent merger with Ahmed Lawan of the North-East zone. Akume now runs as the Deputy Senate President. The South-West Senators- Elect, most of whom are APC members, have also unanimously adopted the tag team of Ahmed Lawan /George Akume, thereby sealing the zoning arrangement for the positions of Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives among the four zones in the total control of the APC. What is particularly spectacular about the joint ticket of Lawan/Akume is that credibility has not been sacrificed for empathy. Both gentlemen are ranking Senators and longest serving APC Senators from their respective zones. The bottom line is that the North-East, being the worst victims of terrorism, is easily the object of sympathy in the new administration. Nigerians in their wisdom would not just want the government to retrieve the Chibok girls under captivity and the vast territories of Bornu and Yobe under siege, but to restore the souls of their disoriented compatriots from psychological trauma and make them part of the Nigerian society after six years of nightmare. It appears our people are now once again poised to underplay certain indices and provide a space for their brothers and sisters from the North-East zone to be part of the emerging leadership. The next President of the Senate is most likely going to be Senato Ahmed Lawan of Yobe State and the deputy, Senator George Akume of Benue State.
Dr. Shija wrote in from Nasarawa State University, Keffi
President Muhammadu Buhari, today, held his maiden meeting with the nation’s Service Chiefs during which time he took briefings from them on the update of the security situation in the country. Briefing newsmen shortly after hours of meeting with the President, the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Usman Jibrin said that the President is in a hurry to end the dangerous activities of Boko Haram. He said that President Buhari was satisfied with the level of success achieved so far in the battle with Boko Haram, but asked Nigerians, especially in the North East, to cooperate with the security agents in this direction. Those in attendance, in the meeting held at the Defence House in Abuja were Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Kenneth T. J. Minimah, Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal A. N. Amosun, Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral U. O. JIBRIN and Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase.
President Muhammadu Buhari has scheduled a visit to Chad and the Republic of Niger, starting on Wednesday, as part of the strategy to confront Boko Haram in more practical and devastating manner ever.
The announcement of the President’s visit to the two countries was made today by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu. He said that the President will be on the visit for Wednesday and Thursday.
Chad and Niger are the two principal countries whose troops have joined forces with the Nigerian soldiers to fight Boko Haram.
Chad leads a multinational force of troops, including soldiers from Cameroon, in an offensive that this year has driven Nigeria’s home-grown Islamic extremists from the towns and villages where it had established “an Islamic caliphate.”
Chad’s President Idriss Deby has complained of a lack of co-operation from Nigeria, which has strained relations with all its neighbours.
Nigeria’s military has said the offensive has cut Boko Haram’s supply lines across borders and that the militants’ main fighting force is hemmed into a northeastern forest. [myad]
Former Adamawa State Governor, Murtala Nyako, today, walked himself into the hands of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission whose officials subjected him to long hours of interrogation.
A source hinted that he is currently being grilled for fraud related charges amounting to about N15 Billion.
The former governor, it was gathered, turned himself into the EFCC earlier today with the expectation that he would be released in time to attend a rally organized by his supporters in Yola.
However, EFCC officials, who had earlier declared him wanted were said to have continued interrogating him.
An EFCC source said that the former governor allegedly stole the billions of naira from his state and then escaped to the UK where he remained until last week. [myad]
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Senate Presidency And The Evocation Of Empathy, By Terhemba Shija
Our country is a theatre of idealism, but it is also a home of realists. Nigerians cherish discussions especially on politics and football and it appears most of them give excellent commentaries and analysis on these two games in beer-palours, street corners, informal and formal discussion groups and in social media. They invest so much emotions in the dialectics of the fundamental essence of these games and, by so doing, interrogate or accept
different ideas; compare or contrast Nigeria’s standards with those of other countries and generously proffer ideas to improve the performance of this giant of Africa in either football or politics.
Generally, Nigerians tell themselves the truth anytime they crave for success. They demonstrate their ability to criticize themselves just as much as they prove that they also possess the capacity to appreciate one another when victory comes their way. The euphoria that engulfs the nation at the end of a fierce international football match or at the emergence of largely acceptable presidential candidate after a free, fair and credible election is incredibly fulfilling.
The ecstasy is even therapeutic for a robust nation with great diversities seeking to harness its potentials to ensure progress and advancement.
The Nigerian political discourse, for instance, is as multidimensional as it could be of a nation with over 300 ethnic nationalities, multiple religions and a 170 million strong population fused together by a colonial power. It engages the instruments of the idealist and that of the realist; the objective and the subjective; the scientific and primordial as well as the logical and the emotional in its discursive heterogeneity.
What invariably comes out as Nigeria’s political verdict in most debates held either formally at Constituent Assemblies or informally in beer-parlour
discussions is consensus rather than the strict adherence to the fundamentals.
Our people are constrained to deal essentially with what they can do rather than what ought to be done. They seem to say that the law was made for man and not man for the law. In this regard, emotions play a more critical stabilizing factor in reaching a consensus than any other parameter that may bother on logic and the law.
I am concerned here with the feeling of empathy which Nigerians evoke at critical times to solve naughty political issues that threaten the fragile fabrics of our confederation. The word, empathy, is not as commonly used as its cousin, sympathy, perhaps because it carries more weight and significance. Everybody talks of sympathy which means simply commiserating or being sorry about someone else’s problems. Empathy goes further than that. It involves showing understanding or being sensitive to someone else’s predicament to the point of vicariously participating in his grief. Empathy is indeed a cryptic current that surreptitiously works its way into the psyche of Nigerian disrupting laid-down procedures, destroying ethnic and primordial sentiments and promoting unspeakable solidarity and camaraderie among Nigerians.
On such rare occasions when the spirit of empathy takes possession of the Nigerian nation, the victims of tragedy are very often lifted up, pampered and placed in a position where they could feel reasonably comfortable to call themselves part of the Nigerian community. Several examples abound to demonstrate this phenomenon in our political
history.
The Late Major-General Shehu Musa Yar’Adua was only a Lt-Colonel in the midst of generals when the then Head of State General Murtala Mohammed was assassinated in 1976. The gravity of the predicament was not merely that a very popular and dynamic Head of State was killed in cold blood. It was because his death marked the second time in Nigeria’s short lifespan that two popular Presidents of Hausa-Fulani extraction would be killed in such a reckless manner. Of course, the entire nation was enveloped in grief. Sympathy messages flooded everywhere and the government then did a lot to immortalize the name of General Mohammed. All these were not sufficient to
assuage the misery of many citizens of our country. They needed to be empathized with by practically engaging the victims of tragedy in the political arrangement of the day. The appointment of the then Lt-Colonel Yar’Adua to take the position of military Vice-President
in violation of military hierarchy was therefore a necessary step to empathize with the Hausa-Fulani people and to further cement our unity as a nation.
The language of empathy is so subtle that it appears most Nigerians cannot easily codify. The Yoruba people did not readily join other Nigerians who were empathizing with them in 1999 by releasing Chief Olusegun
Obasanjo from prison and picking on him to run for the presidency of Nigeria. The Yorubas had refused to vote for him in the 1999 elections. At that time, the South West had thoroughly deserved the sympathy of the rest of the country by the way and manner, their son, Chief M.K.O Abiola, was denied the presidency of Nigeria and hauled into jail after winning the credible polls of June 12, 1993. Chief Abiola later died in jail without trial under the tyrannical leadership of General Sani Abacha, who also threw Chief Obasanjo into jail on trumped-up charges of attempting a coup. The nation was outraged by the catalogue of tribulations of their Yoruba compatriots and chose to vicariously identify with them.
Chief Obasanjo’s presidency in 1999 was therefore a faith accompli principally because of the consensus of the Nigerian citizens to empathize with the South West on account of those atrocities.
As we await the proclamation of the 8thNational Assembly on June 9, 2015, there are strong indications that Nigerians may again resort to empathy as strategy to get out of the seemingly intractable problem the emerging ruling party, the APC, has found itself. The party has publicly confessed its inability to zone the presiding offices of the National Assembly even as it is closely marked by its rivals, the PDP which membership in the Senate is exceeded by just eleven members.
So far, the North Central geopolitical zone has provided a water-tight argument as to why the Senate Presidency should continue to be theirs, giving persuasive arguments of how they had pulled the carpet under the feet of PDP to emerge as the best performing zone for the APC in the last presidential and governorship elections. They even cite the presence of the current Senate Minority Leader, Senator George Akume, among the foremost contestants who should naturally be given the right of first refusal in line with legislative practices all over the world in the race for the Senate Presidency. The zone also parades prominent other names like Senators Bukola Saraki and
leadership from leaving the race to be won by means of survival of the fittest, an approach which is capable of plunging the country into dire consequences.
However, it appears that the stage is set to once again release the currents of empathy on the citizens to do some soul searching. The focus this time is the North-Eastern geopolitical zone, the area that had for the past six years dominated national and international discussions as the theatre of war, rape, deprivation, mass killings, hunger, deprivation and neglect. The Boko-Haram had declared war on the North -Eastern part of Nigeria in which about
3,900 Nigerians lost their lives including civilians and the military. The area also has a terrible refugee crisis. However, just like the Yorubas were unaware of the national sympathy towards them, it had taken the group of Senators-elect outside the North-East Zone to announce a consensus to unanimously adopt Senator Ahmed Lawan from this zone as President of the Senate in the 8th National Assembly. About thirteen Senators-elect from the North-East Zone comprising those of the President-elect, Mohammadu Buhari’s home state, Katsina, have constituted themselves as the core group of canvassers for Senator Lawan’s Senate Presidency. The General himself has refused to support any
particular candidate or zone for this position. But if this gesture by the North-West Senators is not Buhari’s body language concerning this matter, then I do not know what else it is. I guess that the President-elect, having vigorously campaigned for the office using the factor of insecurity in the North-East and having promised a special package for the people of this zone may as well have decided to help in the emergence of Senator Ahmed Lawan as President of the Senate.
Secondly, the North Central zone which has a very strong case in the quest for Senate Presidency appears to have listened to the body language of the President-elect hence the subtle withdrawal of a candidate who looked like the heir apparent, Senator George
Akume and his consequent
merger with Ahmed Lawan of the North-East zone. Akume now runs as the Deputy Senate President. The South-West Senators- Elect, most of whom are APC members, have also unanimously adopted the tag team of Ahmed Lawan /George Akume, thereby sealing the zoning
arrangement for the positions of Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives among the four zones in the total control of the APC.
What is particularly spectacular about the joint ticket of Lawan/Akume is that credibility has not been sacrificed for empathy.
Both gentlemen are ranking Senators and longest serving APC Senators from their respective zones.
The bottom line is that the North-East, being the worst victims of terrorism, is easily the object of sympathy in the new administration. Nigerians in their wisdom would not just want the government to retrieve the
Chibok girls under captivity and the vast territories of Bornu and Yobe under siege, but to restore the souls of their disoriented compatriots from psychological trauma and make them part of the Nigerian society after six years of nightmare. It appears our people are now once again poised to underplay certain indices and provide a space for their brothers and sisters from the North-East zone to be part of the emerging leadership. The next President of the Senate is most likely going to be Senato Ahmed Lawan of
Yobe State and the deputy, Senator George Akume of Benue State.
Dr. Shija wrote in from Nasarawa
State University, Keffi
[myad]