North-Central leaders woos support for Akume for Senate

Firdtclass newsline learnt that the Spokesman for the group, Alhaji
Mohammed Gwaska, made the appeal at a media briefing in Abuja, on
Monday.
He led the group made up of former Deputy Governor of Plateau State,
Mrs. Pauline Tallen, Senator Jack Tilley Gyado, former military
administrators of Katsina and Plateau states, Maj. Gen. Laurence Onoja
(retd.) and Col. Joseph Akaagerger (retd.), among others, to the
briefing.
He said the appeal to others to shelve their ambitions in favour of
Senator George Akume was premised on the need to ensure justice and
fair play in the 8th National Assembly.
Gwaska said, "We want to appeal to all Nigerians from other parts of
the country to suspend their ambition as this is not their time.
"We also advise all leaders who want stability to support Senator
Akume. We are not unmindful of the fact that during the 7th session of
the senate, our zone had the opportunity to occupy this position.
However, the political exigencies of today have again invited the
senate to invoke the Doctrine of Necessity, which makes it most
desirable for this position to be retained by our zone."
According to the group, the issue of the doctrine would not have come
up if there was a ranking All Progressives Congress, senator from the
South-East or South-South geo-political zone.
It, however, noted that since the two zones were unable to produce a
senator during the last election, it was only fair for minorities to
be given a sense of belonging and a voice in the scheme of things in
the incoming administration.
The group argued that since the President-elect is from the
North-West, and the Chief Justice of Nigeria is from the North-East,
the remaining arm of government, the legislature should be headed by
someone from the North-Central zone.
This, they argued, would help to ensure stability because it was only
the right thing to do.
Gwaska also said that Akume qualified for the position because of his
steadfastness and commitment to the cause of the opposition in which
he led in the senate for four years.
Firstclassnewsline.net