10th NASS: Lawmaker Speaks On Muslim Emerging Senate President

The lawmaker representing Edo South Senatorial District, Matthew Urhoghide has ruled out the possibility of a Muslim emerging as Senate President in the 10th National Assembly.

Urhoghide said the president-elect, Bola Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shettima are Muslims, hence the need for a Christian Senate President.

The lawmaker also noted that it would be wrong for the next president to emerge from the South-West and North-East with Tinubu and Shettima emerging from those regions.

Urhoghide stated this following the collaboration of senator-elects from the southern part of Nigeria ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June.

The lawmakers from the region are working together to ensure that a lawmaker from the region emerges as Senate President.

Urhoghide is the secretary of the group named, Southern Senators’ Forum (SSF).

The lawmaker in an interview with Saturday Sun said, “I think some people contesting for the position of the Senate president, Speaker of the House of Representatives and other positions in the 10th National Assembly, are taking the rest of us for a ride. How can someone from the South West where the President-elect is from be thinking of contesting for any position in the National Assembly?

“I wonder why they’re doing that. The same goes for those from North East. The vice president-elect is from there. If they’re contesting, what happens to the other four geopolitical zones? We shouldn’t consider them?

“Nigeria is more divided now than at any other time. The issue of religion and ethnicity must be considered. You can’t ignore these issues. We already have the president-elect and vice president-elect as Muslims. We can’t have another Muslim going for the office of the President of the Senate. That’s insensitive and unfair.

“Then first-timers too shouldn’t be talking about vying for any positions. There are rules and principles in Parliaments across the world that only ranking members should vie. They’re just going around and talking about running. That shouldn’t happen.

“We should look at the four geopolitical zones yet to produce anything and ensure that religion and ethnicity are considered. We must not ignore competence. Whoever will come from the four geopolitical zones to occupy these positions must be competent.

“Nigeria belongs to all of us and we can’t take people for granted. Nobody is more Nigerian than others. We must respect the sensibilities of other ethnic groups and religions.”