Intrigue As Tinubu Moves To Form National Unity Govt, To Zone Senate Presidency To South East

• Tinubu is set to form a Government of National Unity and pacify the South East with the Senate Presidency position.

THE NATION REPORTERS reports that there are indications that President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is set to form a Government of National Unity and pacify the South East with the Senate Presidency position.

It was learnt that the move to zone the chairmanship of the National Assembly to the South East is to appease those who clamored for the presidency to the zoned to the region.

It was also gathered that the move to have a Senate President from the South East is to assuage the feeling of real or perceived disparity among the Igbo people.

Speaking with Vanguard, a reliable source who craved anonymity said Tinubu has vowed to ensure that all regions of the country were represented in his new government regardless of their political parties.

He said that Tinubu was said to have already informed some of his supporters among the elected senators to start shopping for anyone from the Southeast as the next Senate President.

The source disclosed that the zoning of the Senate Presidency and the speakership of the 10th House will be among the top agenda that will be discussed at an APC meeting scheduled for tomorrow at the State House in Abuja.

According to the source, Tinubu might make his preference for a South East Senate President known at the meeting and might anoint his close ally and the current Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.

He said: “For the balance of Power, our President-elect understands that to have a rancor-free administration, every region must be carried along and the South East is very paramount to him.

“He has confided in us his commitment to support the emergence of a Senate President from the Southeast for the sake of equity, fairness, and justice, thus maintaining the balance of power and a sense of inclusion.”

“In 2015, the Southeast was told to blame themselves for not voting for APC which could have given them the Senate Presidency. In 2019, they said the Southeast has no ranking Senator but in 2023, there’s no excuse because the Southeast despite the massive votes they gave to the Labour Party still voted for six APC Senators, some of whom are ranking lawmakers.

“Tinubu is fully committed to a Senate President of Southeast extraction. I can confirm because he believes it is the right thing to do and the move will also calm frayed nerves in the South-East. He also wants to prevent unnecessary spending, bad blood lobbying which might culminate to the hijacking of the National Assembly as it happened in 2015.”

Speaking further, the source revealed that Tinubu has promised that his cabinet will be devoid of lopsidedness or ethnic discrimination.

He added that it was one of the agenda to be discussed at the meeting with the members-elect of the national assembly.

Speakership Zoning

The source said the zoning of the speakership would need to provide an acceptable zoning direction that will be sensitive to the religious affinity of the incoming administration.

He stated that Tinubu and the Vice President-elect, Senator, Kashim Shetima are of the Islamic faith and it is understood that five ranking lawmakers are jostling for the position of speaker.

Amongst the lot are Hon. Aliyu Betara representing Biu/Kwaya federal constituency of Borno State; Aminu Sani Jaji representing Kaura Namoda/Birnin Magaji federal constituency of Zamfara state; the current deputy speaker, Hon. Idris Wase from Plateau State; the current spokesman of the House, Hon. Ben Kalu from Abia state and the embattled majority leader, Hon. Ado Doguwa.