10th NASS: Yari, Izunaso, Orji Kalu To Form Alliance, Back Ex-Zamfara Gov Against Akpabio

Reports have emerged that the trio of Senator Abdulaziz Yari, Orji Uzor Kalu, and Osita Izunaso are contemplating forming an alliance to battle Senator Godswill Akpabio for the position of Senate President.

Naija News recalls that the All Progressives Congress (APC) NWC had picked Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom/South-South) for the President of the Senate; Jibrin Barau (Kano/North-West) for the Deputy President of the Senate; Tajudeen Abbas (Kaduna/North-West) for the Speaker, House of Representatives; and Benjamin Kalu (Abia/South-East) for the Deputy Speaker.

It was gathered that the Senators are planning to back the former Zamfara State Governor as the lead candidate to battle Akpabio with the support of minority caucus members of the yet-to-be-inaugurated 10th Assembly.

Also, in the yet-to-be-inaugurated House of Representatives, members of the G6 alliance comprising deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase (North-Central), Hon. Mukhtar Aliyu Betara (North-East), Hon. Miriam Onuoha (South-East), Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi (North-Central), Hon. Aminu Jaji (North-West), and member-elect Sada Soli Jibia (North-West), have vowed to produce a consensus candidate from among them to defeat the APC’s choice of Abbas.

The decisions of Yari, Kalu, and Izunaso, on one hand, and the G6 in the House, on the other hand, to go ahead with their aspirations were apparently against the backdrop that the national leadership of the APC might have reneged on the promise made to them to review the controversial zoning formula adopted by the party.

The choices of Senator Barau as Deputy Senate President and Hon. Abbas as Speaker, when both are from the same North-West geopolitical zone, had drawn condemnation from many stakeholders.

Yari had protested against the zoning formula of the governing APC on the 10th Senate leadership positions because it conflicted with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) because it is in breach of the federal character principle as enshrined in the constitution.

Speaking to Arise News TV last Tuesday, Yari said, “I am particularly talking about the APC, if they decide to zone (Senate leadership positions), we ask them a question, on what do you based the zoning? Have you taken the federal character into cognizance, where the President, the Chief Justice of Nigeria and the National Assembly chairman, the three arms of government, are in one place?

“The present Chief Justice of Nigeria is from Oyo State; Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect is from Lagos State, and Akpabio is from Akwa Ibom State at the same time. While the next Chief Justice of the Federation (Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun) is also going to be from the South-West.”