Date: 2015-05-09

As the race for the Senate Presidency gathers momentum, a group, North Central People’s Development Initiative, has called for retention of the position in the North Central geo-political zone.

The group stated this at a press conference in Abuja addressed by its Chairman, Abdulmalik Isah and the Executive Secretary, Ibrahim Ado-Iliyasu.

David Mark, from Benue State in North Central, currently holds the position.

The All Progressives Congress is currently considering where to zone the position to following the inability of the party to win a senatorial seat in any of the five states in the South East zone which should have produced Mr. Mark’s successor.

As a result of the development, some leaders of the party have canvassed the zoning of the position to either the North Central or North East zone.

Two Senators from the North Central zone, Bukola Saraki and George Akume as well as Ahmed Lawan from Yobe State in the North East are jostling for the seat

The president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari is from the North West political zone while his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo hails from the South West zone.

The group said it would amount to injustice and disrespect to the region if the position of the position was not retained in the North Central zone.

“The people of the North Central States under the umbrella People Development Initiative has unequivocally resolved that the position of the Senate President must be allowed to remain in the North Central.” It said.

“The people of North Central States voted overwhelmingly for the APC in the last general election. It is on record that all the six states to the North central zone voted in favour of General Muhammadu Buhari.”

The group recounted that in 2007, the PDP, under the leadership of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who was from the same North West zone as Mr. Buhari, zoned the position of the Senate President to the North Central and that it was retained by President Goodluck Jonathan.

It wondered why the APC leadership was considering re-zoning the position to any other parts of the North when they had produced former leaders of the country, namely Tafawa Balewa, Shehu Shagari, Umaru Yar’Adua, former Vice President Atiku Abubabar and now Mr. Buhari.

“Anything short of zoning the position of the Senate President to the North Central zone is an act of disrespect and betrayal to its teeming population,” the group said.