President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu once again made an appeal for support of the party’s chosen consensus candidate during a meeting with lawmakers in Abuja.
He emphasized that the Renewed Hope Elephant, symbolizing the party, is large enough for everyone to benefit from.
The President urged the senators-elect to adhere to the party’s zoning arrangement, which designates specific regions for key positions.
According to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the president of the Senate has been zoned to the South-South, with Senator Godswill Akpabio identified as the preferred candidate.
The position of deputy Senate President has been designated for Senator Jubrin Barau from the North-West.
However, despite the party’s zoning announcement made in early May, some aspirants for the Senate presidency have persisted in their intention to contest for the positions, disregarding the established arrangement.
The recalcitrant contestants—Senator Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara West), Orji Kalu ( Abia North) and Osita Izunaso ( Imo West), among others—said they would not step down for the party’s consensus aspirants for the two leadership positions, stating that the president was yet to release a zoning formula.
A source at the meeting disclosed that the president told the lawmakers that accepting the party’s decision was the right thing to do to support the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda of his administration.
“At this point in our history and the challenges facing us as a new administration, all hands must be on deck to salvage the unpalatable situation facing the nation. We must see the situation as a pan-Nigerian project for the executive and the legislature to work out solutions to the challenges of the nation,” Tinubu told the senators-elect.
President Asiwaju Bola Tinubu emphasized that addressing the numerous national challenges requires collaborative efforts between the executive and legislative branches of government.
He acknowledged that the responsibility of finding solutions cannot solely rest on the executive arm.
During the meeting, Tinubu urged the senators-elect present to extend the appeal to other APC senators-elect who were unable to attend.
He encouraged them to rally support for the party’s agenda and adhere to the party’s guidelines, putting aside personal ambitions in favor of the party’s program and the overall national interest.
The President highlighted the importance of unity and cooperation in achieving the common goal of addressing the nation’s problems.
The president added, “Talk to your colleagues that are not here to tow the party line and give the Renewed Hope agenda a chance to succeed. The elephant is big enough for all members, and indeed Nigerians, to have a share of the renewed hope in due course.”
Earlier, Senator Akpabio once again congratulated the president on the successful presidential inauguration and stated that since the party announced the zoning arrangements for the leadership of the National Assembly, the majority of the party’s senators-elect led by him and Senator Barau, have reached out in consultation with other senators-elect and senators-elect from opposition political parties with positive results and pledges of support.
