It has been speculated that the South-South geopolitical zone may produce the next deputy Senate president. This is coming after a PDP senator representing Abia south, Eyinnaya Abaribe declared Oshiomhole is not fit to dictate how senators will choose their leader as he is not a member of the national assembly.

Recall that APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, declared yesterday that except for the Senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives, which have been settled, other NASS positions were yet to be zoned. Oshiomhole, however, said that the South-South is being considered for the office of the deputy Senate president.

In an interaction with reporters, Oshiomhole, speaking through his spokesman, Mr. Simon Egbebulem, confirmed that APC had never zoned the Senate top offices, but added that the South-South was in the picture for the office of deputy Senate president.

However, media reports have surfaced saying that the party had already zoned the position to the South-South, especially to Oshiomhole’s kinsman, Senator Francis Alimekhena, who has been re-elected to represent Edo North Senatorial District in 9the Assembly. The report accused him of trying to corner the office for Alimikhena, but the APC chairman described the insinuations as untrue.

Oshiomohole however denied it. He said: “Nothing like that has been done. Nobody has said this is the person for that position. But the party is working on how to share the position so that every part of the country will have a sense of belonging. They have started the process and the party is backing Femi Gbajabiamila and Ahmed Lawan for the position of Speaker and Senate president respectively but for other positions, the party is still working to sort out these offices.”

When asked if the South-South was being considered for the deputy Senate presidency, the media aide replied affirmatively, but stressed that the final decision lies with the party.

Other major contenders for the office are Senators Robert Ajayi Boroffice, Oluremi Tinubu and Ovie Omo-Agege. Omo-Agege is likely to clinch the position because of his wide network within the APC coupled with the fact that he has commenced intensive lobby amongst his colleagues.

It would be recalled that Omo-Agege’s election is facing challenges due to the Court judgment that affected the election that produced the state Executives that conducted the primary election which produced him and others as candidates of the main opposition party in Delta State. This came up as the leader of the All Progressives Congress in Delta State, O’tega Emerhor, has said that the certificate of return issued to Ovie Omo-Agege by the Independent National Electoral Commission will soon be retrieved and reissued to him.

A Federal High Court in Asaba, had earlier sacked the Jones Erue-led state executive of the APC and declared Cyril Ogodo as the authentic chairman of the party in the state. According to The Punch, Emehor, in a press statement issued by his aide on Media and Social Communications, Mr Aghogho Orotomah, on Monday in Asaba, stressed that the Federal High Court, Asaba, made a specific order. He said the court nullified the list of candidates of the National Assembly, governorship and state House of Assembly elections that was presented to INEC through the Jones Erue-led executive. He said the list contained the names of the APC senatorial candidates that included Dr Emmanuel Uduaghan- Delta South; Senator Ovie Omo-Agege — Delta Central and Doris Uboh- Delta North. He added that the court, in Order 5, upheld a list of separate APC candidates.

He said, “The senatorial candidates contained in the court certified exhibits are as follows: Chief Michael Johnny — Delta South; Olorogun O’tega Emerhor – Delta Central and Chief Marian Ali — Delta North. These enrolled orders have been served by the court bailiff on INEC and INEC has begun the process of obedience to the order by refusing to give out certificates of return to the three affected candidates on the Jones Erue annulled list. It is, therefore, obvious that the certificate of return already issued to Senator Ovie Omo-Agege is in error and it is only a matter of time for it to be withdrawn by INEC.”

Emerhor said Omo-Agege was living in self-denial by claiming that the judgement did not affect his candidacy.

 

 

 

 

 

Source: Leadership/Punch

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