A former Edo State Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, says any attempt to deny the South-South of the 10th Senate Presidency would be a deliberate effort at undermining the geopolitical zone.

Afegbua, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said the contestants of the Senate Presidency should respect the decision of the ruling party to pick a former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Sen. Godswill Akpabio, as the preferred candidate.

He said this via a statement issued on Wednesday, June 7.

The former commissioner stressed that the leadership of the 10th National Assembly should be held by an individual of quality, saying the quality should not be about money.

Afegbua said: “It should be about meeting the criteria of national balance, fairness, and good intentions, seen through their antecedents.

“Therefore, every committed member in good faith and good conscience should respect this position of the party, and immediately rally together with other party members to promote her position; instead of playing havoc with the issue. Deploying illicit funds to bribe their way through is an unfortunate underhand tactic.

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“With a Muslim-Muslim Presidency, it is natural to expect other religions to lead this arm of government, for religious harmony, balance, and unity.

“Senator Godswill Akpabio remains the man to beat for this exalted office of Senate Presidency; he has everything going for him in this particular race. Those who are desperate to alter the robust and mutual agreement already in place to ensure stability of the system will be disappointed and disgraced in the end.

“The South-South geopolitical zone is not just an integral part of the Nigeria Federation but also one whose peace and stability, like other zones, is required to maintain and promote the economic wellness of this country.

“Any attempt to deny the zone what has been zoned to her, could be looked upon as a deliberate effort at undermining us; this would not augur well for our nation. Give to Caesaer what is his.”

Afegbua further debunked reports that some senators have withdrawn their support for Akpabio in the race for the Senate Presidency, saying it was “nothing can be farther from the truth”.

The Star