From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Integrity Group has drummed support for Senator Mohammed Sani Musa for the position of Deputy Senate President, describing him as the most qualified.
The group’s Coordinator and Secretary, Dawu Mohammed and Chisom Nwakanma, in a statement on Wednesday, noted that the lawmaker would contribute meaningfully to the development of the country if elected.
Mohammed added that the lawmakers must be circumspect in choosing their representatives for the smooth operation of the Senate.
He said: “For our party, the APC, we call on the leadership to rise to the occasion and to remember that it is not enough to win the presidency and to have a majority of lawmakers in the Senate and House of Representatives.
“The task ahead is enormous as we must prove to Nigerians, the entire continent, and the rest of the world that we are a party capable of taking care of our people through robust legislation, and execution of public-interest policies.
“We must also prove to everyone- ourselves, countrymen and women who like us sought Nigerians’ confidence to lead them, that we are with them every inch of the way.
“To do this, it is time to set the proper structure and machinery in motion. First, we must put the right leadership at the National Assembly.
“This is so, not just to give the necessary impetus to the realization of the campaign promises we made, but to ensure stability, focus, progress and robust legislative machinery to oil the wheel of the country’s social, economic, political, security, and other vital sectors, in the years ahead.
“Given this, and as our Great Party considers the leadership composition of the Upper and Green Chamber of the 10th National Assembly, we are compelled to again, like before, lend our voice to the Wisdom of our party’s NWC and NEC.
“We think it imperative to call the attention of the party to the qualities of loyalty to the APC, competence, versatility, leadership prowess and commitment of Senator Sani Mohammed Musa (313 Niger East) to good governance, national unity and the welfare of Nigerians.
“As a group dedicated to the promotion of democratic values, the APC Integrity Group believes that the revered Senator Musa tops the list among those jostling to give the Senate the needed leadership in the next four or eight years.
“Though he is eminently qualified, capable and ready to execute the functions of the Chairman of the National Assembly as the Senate President, we however think it unjust and unfair to the balance of natural justice and Nigeria’s Unity to encourage the APC to zone the Senate Presidency to the north.
“For us, zoning the office to the South East or South South is adequate compensation to the agitations of these regions. And we stand by that!
“We are however confident that this zoning formula needs balancing to give the North Central, North West, South West, South East and South South, all a sense of belonging.
“With the President going to the South West, the Vice President having been taken by the North East, and considering that the outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari, hails from the North West, we see it appropriate that the North Central like the South East and South South is carried along in the scheme of things.
“Against this background, recall that among numerous groundbreaking interventions on national matters, Senator Musa’s ingenuity in using legislative machinery to solve national issues remains unparalleled in the history of the National Assembly.
“Here is a man whose intellect would be a national asset if he was from any of the industrialized countries, and so-called first-world economies.
“For the first time in recent history, the Nigerian federal legislature was awash not with mere oratory characteristic of contributions at plenary, but with rich legislative interventions from a thoroughbred administrator, a financial expert par excellence, a public/social scientist, and a man who understands what the nation needs per time.
“Remember that what we have today as the INEC BVAS machine originated from the card reader technology introduced by Distinguished Senator Sani Musa.
“The card reader was a major advancement in electioneering in Nigeria.
“He also sponsored a total of 26 Bills, of the 21 per cent of total legislations sponsored by North Central Senators in the Ninth Assembly.
“We have followed the antecedents of Senator Musa and have come to the conclusion that with the current trend, the calibre of new, young and outspoken politicians who are coming on board from the opposition parties, especially the PDP and LP, Senator Musa as the DSP would be of immense benefit to the APC and to our party.
“It is also on record that Senator Musa who has remained a solid rock for our great party in Niger state, contributed immensely to our resounding victory in the state, as he hosted several campaign rallies for our candidates not only in his senatorial district but the state in general.
“Also, we at the APC Integrity Group having followed his steps at the outgoing Ninth Senate sees Senator Musa as a great asset that our great party needs not only to have our way in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly but to win other lawmakers to our side.
“We reiterate our belief that though we have won the presidential election and secured the majority at both the Senate and House of Representatives, it is only when we get it right with the right leadership at the 10th Assembly that we can sustain the momentum we have been able to create across the nation.
“And to get it right, we urge all well-meaning Nigerians, and all well-meaning members of the APC to join the urgent call for Senator Sani Mohammed Musa (APC Niger East) as the Deputy Senate President (DSP) to ensure that the policy direction of the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration receives robust, meaningful and strategic supports at the National Assembly.
“This way, we will provide democratic dividends to Nigerians, further unite the country, and among others, bring even our detractors to our fold.”