I don’t want to be remembered for my many fights — Obaseki

by Omeiza Ajayi, Abuja

A few days after the National Working Committee NWC of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC came up with a controversial zoning formula for principal officers position in the 10th National Assembly, one of the top contenders for the position of Senate President, Senator Osita Izunaso said his aspiration to lead the senate of the 10th National Assembly is well on course and in the best interest of the nation.

A statement from Izunaso’s Media Office signed by Kehinde Olaosebikan indicated that the senator spoke during a parley with some media executives in his campaign office at The Destination, Abuja.

Izunaso urged the APC to douse the tension generated by the zoning formula already fouling the political atmosphere of the country, by coming up with a zoning arrangement that would guarantee unity and national cohesion.

According to him, “the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the outgoing President, Muhammadu Buhari and APC under the leadership of Senator Abdullahi Adamu, should as a matter of importance come up with a new zoning arrangement that would not only produce the best among the senators and House of Representatives Members-elect as their presiding officers, but be seen by Nigerians and the world at large as meeting the best practices in legislative norms and satisfying the political exigencies of the present Nigeria”.

According to him, the expectations of Nigeria and the entire world were high on the incoming administration and that no efforts should be spared by the present political leaders of the country in meeting the yearnings of the people.

The journalist cum lawyer and ranking senator-elect from Imo West Senatorial District, said he agreed with the position of the National Working Committee on the need for “further and better consultations” by all the necessary stakeholders of the party in reaching a workable zoning formula for the principal offices of the National Assembly.

The APC NWC had in its press statement of Tuesday said inter-alia “the NWC noted with respect the outcome of the meetings held between the President-elect and the leadership of the NWC. The NWC called for further and better consultation with necessary stakeholders in order to assure the support of the aspirants to the National Assembly leadership positions and members of the party nationwide”.

According to him, the NWC was ostensibly now satisfied with the zoning arrangement that allocated two major principal offices to a particular region and micro zoned all the four major offices in the National Assembly to individuals rather than zones as in the normal practice.

Senator Izunaso stated that “the expectant ascendance of the undisputable greatest democrat and the most successful politician in Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the presidency of the most populous Black nation in the world had already raised the hope of a better and greater Nigeria in all aspects, particularly in the enhancement of democracy and good governance, across the globe’.

Izunaso who declared that he was in the race to win the senate presidency and give the National Assembly a “clean and fresh breath” expressed optimism that he would eventually triumph at the election and make Tinubu, senators, members of the House of Representatives and the entire nation proud of an Assembly administered by competence, experience, capacity and integrity.

He noted that the outcry, protests, gang-ups that erupted following the informal and formal announcement of the provocative formula showed that the arrangements were not satisfactory to the overwhelming majority of the newly elected legislators and Nigerians generally adding that it should therefore be discarded without any further delay.

Izunaso explained that what the country needed now was a brand new assembly chaired by a competent, capable and experienced man of proven integrity, without any blemish whatsoever.

He said he was the highest ranking Senator from the South-South and South-East with a robust and outstanding legislative and National Assembly experience spanning from 1992 when he served as the Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of House of Representatives to 1999 when he was appointed as the Chief Press Secretary to the President of the Senate.

“In 2003, I was elected into the House of Representatives at the expiration of which I became a Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District. In all of these periods, I was one of the most outstanding committee Chairmen in both the green and red chambers.

“As a consummate party man, I joined the nation’s best of eggheads like Babatunde Raji Fashola, and our erudite baba, Chief Bisi Akande in the formation of the All Progressives Congress in 2014. After the birth of the party, I served meritoriously as the National Organizing Secretary of the party.

“It would also interest you to know that during the five years of my tenure as the National Organizing Secretary of APC there was no single litigation over our congresses both for party primaries and party executives. I was fair, just, adroit and meticulous in all my activities.

“Looking for a complete and loyal party man, I am the best. If competence as in what our father, the President-elect desires in his planned Government of National Competence is the criterion, I am not just the most competent, I am the most capable, creative and organized senator among the contestants. If you want to go with the mood of the nation requiring a government of National Unity, I am an Igbo man from South-East, the most marginalized zone in Nigeria, I am the most qualified.

“Equally, if you want to go with the Not Too Young Act, one of the greatest achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s government, I am the youngest of all the aspirants, the face of the youths, representing the most agitated demography in the country today. It is me. I am indeed the best and the next person for Senate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Emi Lokan!

“I am the person that can give the Senate a clean and fresh image needed to give us a new Nigeria promised Nigerians by the greatest Democrat of our time, the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. I am the best and most suitable for the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly”, he stated.