*Rejects NWC’s consensus candidate plot
President elect, Bola Tinubu has rejected alleged lots by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and some South West senators to micro zone the choice of the 10th Senate president to the South south geo political zone
It was reported that the APC NWC had in company of some South west senators, tried to iinfluence the emergence of a South south senator as the party’s consensus candidate for the senate president at a meeting with the president – elect on Wednesday
APC national Chairman, Senator Abdulahi Adamu was said to have led some members of the NWC, as well as the senate president, Ahmed Lawan and some senators – elect from the South Wes to a meeting with the president – elect on Wednesday, where they introduced to him, Senator Godswill Akpabio from Akwa Ibom as the party’s consensus candidate for the plum job
However, sources close to the Wednesday meeting said Tinubu, who also met with another section of South west senators was advised to avoid being led to begin his presidency with crisis as envisaged in the consensus candidate idea, hence he rejected proposals made by some members of the APC leadership
The source revealed that Tinubu had told the APC leaders he would only support the zoning of the senate presiden to the South, but would not be party to any consensus move, which would lead to micro zoning of the office
Five aspirants from the South, including former governors, Godswill Akpabio, Orji Uzor Kalu, Dave Umahi, Adams Oshiomhole and former APC national Organizing Secretary, Osita Izunaso have indicated interest for the plum senate position
The Source revealed further that Tinubu said that since APC members stood for the zoning of the presidency to the South and not to any of the three zones in the area, which produced him as presidential candidate and president-elect, it would be wrong to propose a micro zoning of the office to South South.
The president – elect, while turning down the proposal, that leaving the position open to all contestants from the south will give all the qualified aspirants from South East and South South opportunity go into a fair contest for senators to make their choice, just like APC delegates picked the presidential candidate of the party prior to the election.
He advised the APC leaders to refrain from taking positions that could lead to controversy and crisis in the party, and therefore advised that the NWC and other stakeholder of the APC should amend their recommendations that would open the race to all interested senators elect from both South east and South south geo political zones
“The president – elect reiterated his preference for fairness, equity, religious and regional balancing as his benchmark for the constitution of the National Assembly leadership.”
According to our source, “The plot to have a sole South South candidate by zoning the office to the zone failed flat with President-elect, who, in his wisdom, rejected pressures by some members of the party leadership and the Southwest senators for the zoning of the Senate presidency to the South South.
“There’s no truth in all that was reported in the media that the President and the NWC have settled for South South. The President insisted that the position should be zoned to the South region
“The three senators from South West lied to the president-elect Tuesday night that all of them from the zone were supporting Akpabio for Senate President, but Asiwaju couldn’t be fooled. He cross-checked the claim by reaching out to the other senators-elect only to discover it was untrue.”
