10th Senate: Arewa Group faults Yari’s ambition, backs Akpabio

Arewa Professionals in the United Kingdom (AP-UK), has expressed reservations about the ambition of the former Governor of Zamfara State, Senator-elect Abdulazeez Yari to be the President of the 10th Senate.

The group in a statement signed by the President of the Think Tank Committed to the group, Yunana Shibkau in London and released on Saturday in Abuja described the aspiration of the former Chairman of Nigeria Governors’ Forum ( NGF) as selfish and greedy.

Shibkau called on Senator Yari to drop his ambition and accept the position of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) which adopted Senator Godswill Akpabio as the next Senate President.

The former Special Assistant to a one-time governor of Zamfara State, Alhaji Sani Yerima, noted that “it is common knowledge that the basis for any viable democracy, especially in a diverse and complex country like Nigeria, is fair and equitable sharing of critical political offices.

“It would therefore be in the best interest of the nation and our democracy to ensure that the next Senate President of Nigeria in 2023 emerges from the South as agreed upon by the APC leadership.

Recalling that the North in the last 8 years had the country’s President as well as the Senate President.

He then argued that In the spirit of oneness, the next senate president should come from the south.

Shibkau hinted that his group has uncovered a design by some politicians and individuals of northern extraction to destabilize the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

He then warned that the group would mobilize discerning northern youths against them.

“We need a Senate President that possesses instinct, diligence and national interest, a refusal to be bound by the parochial concerns of one’s gain, unfortunately, all these are lacking in Yari and fully possessed by Akpabio.

“At this moment in our nation, we don’t need a religious bigot or person who has no respect for other religions as a Senate President. The 10th senate president should be a person representing known schools of thought on societal transformation. He should be a person who can express ideas with a sound understanding of the differences in the various aspects of economic, political and social life”, the group said in the statement.

It further said that “Senate leadership requires the intellectual disposition, integrity and sagacity to be in a position to come up with and discuss solutions to various national challenges.

“Senator Yari should not be entrusted with the leadership of the National Assembly lest he replicates his abysmal performance as governor of Zamfara,” the group warned