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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Senator-elect and governor of Ebonyi State, Dave Umahi, has also informed President Muhammadu Buhari of his intention to vie for the president of the 10th Senate.
Speaking after meeting Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday, Umahi said “justice, equity and fairness” must guide the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) when zoning the principal offices of the 10th National Assembly.
His visit to Buhari followed similar ones by former Governors Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom) and Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), both of whom are also seeking the Senate Presidency seat.
”I think that every region clamouring for the presidency of the Senate to be zoned to it is the right of such people. If you look at the true reflection of our society, you will agree with me that the right thing to be done by our leaders without prejudice to their rights and thinking is that the South East deserves the number three position.
“This is very important and I have always said that you can deliver somebody by the reason of the majority votes of particular regions but you also need the cooperation of the minority people to have a holistic nation to govern.
“So, for inclusiveness, unity of the country and for everybody to be carried along, the South East deserves the position and so far, nobody has been able to say this is the reason why the South East should not be given that position and I am pleading for that,” Umahi said.
The governor, who said the South East made considerable contributions to the victory of the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, advised the party against gauging its choices of candidate by vote contributions alone.
According to him, the candidate to emerge must be one who gives the APC a fighting chance in the June election.
“I know what effort we made as a people for the unity of the country. I know the way we were regarded and we understand that we are stronger while we are together and we made vows to our people while we were campaigning for APC, we assured them that we belong to an equitable and fair Nigeria.
“Now, it has come to a point where that position we took should be put to practice and that is what we are begging for because the chain is as strong as the weakest link and it is time for healing, inclusiveness as well as the time to move this country forward,” the governor said.
On his campaign to have the Senate rules changed so that a new member can emerge as the president, he said despite being a fresh man, he has enough experience in the public sector as a two-term governor and from the private sector as a businessman, to lead the 10th senate
“If you check my pedigree, you’ll find out that I am a man who has handled his businesses from scratch to multi-billions. I was dealing with people. I was not dealing with sticks. That is experience.
“I was a party chairman twice for up to five years. I have managed a state successfully for almost eight years. I have all the experience, humility, honesty and integrity,” the governor added.
On the purpose of his visit to Buhari, Umahi said he updated the president on the state of the Muhammadu Buhari International Airport in Ebonyi State, which he said is ready for operation.
“Our Airport is not a cargo airport. It is an international airport that handles domestic and international flights, as well as cargo. It is named after President Muhammadu Buhari. So I came to inform him that the airport was ready. We’ve carried out test flights. And it’s ready for him to come and commission,” he said.