Abdulaziz Yari, a former governor of Zamfara State and one of the leading contenders for the position of Senate President in the 10th Assembly, has expressed his congratulations to his fellow senators on their electoral success.
The senator-elect urged them to work together with Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the incoming president, and their constituents to spread developments and the benefits of democracy to the general public at the same time.
Two days after threatening to ignore the micro-zoning system adopted by the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Yari made the call in a statement released in Abuja on Saturday by his media office.
Recall that the Senate President position had been micro-zoned by the ruling party to the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godwin Akpabio, while Senator Jibrin Barau was given the position as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriations.
However, the Zamfara lawmaker bemoaned on Thursday that no candidate was consulted before the party made its choice, along with Senators Sani Musa (Niger East), Umar Sadiq (Kwara North), and Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu, who recently lost his wife.
Yari had forewarned that there would be an open rebellion in the chamber unless a level playing field was extended to every aspirant, including Northern senators, to determine their fate.
However, the former governor urged his colleague to maintain his integrity and work for Nigerians’ unity in his Saturday message of congratulations.
The senator-elect stated that he will continue to seek advice on his desire to succeed the outgoing Senate president while rallying support for the incoming president.
He said: “I congratulate you all on your well-deserved victory at the polls. It is a testament to your popularity among your people and the faith they have in you to bring them the benefits of democracy.
Because your actions, inactions, omissions, and commissions may have an impact on them either directly or indirectly, you must ensure that you do not let them down in any way. We must all work together to dispel the myth that Nigerians are divided along religious, tribal, and ethnic lines in order for the nation to advance.
“However, I urge you to take advantage of your election to work with Sen. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the President-elect, to advance the nation’s economic agenda by ensuring the growth of its human capital and infrastructure. You should work to maintain good relations between the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches of government because, working together with a common goal, we can improve the nation for all and move it closer to the accomplishments of advanced nations.
Please accept my highest respect as I continue to consult with you about my desire to serve as your Senate President. Now is the time to put aside any biases based on race, religion, or ethnicity when choosing the Senate’s first among equals president.
