Comrade Michael O Matthew. National President, United Summit Friends Development Association.
A group, United Summit Friends Development Association has urged senators-elect to put the nation’s interest first and vote for the choice of a president Bola Tinubu for the position of the Senate President in the next Senate.
The group in a statement issued by its National President, Comrade Michael O Matthew on Sunday said it’s “imperative for senators-elect to put the interest of the country first and vote for the candidate President Bola Tinubu has settled for.”
The group said it became necessary to lend its voice in support of Godswill Akpabio, the former Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, who is the preferred candidate of the president because “Tinubu means well.”
It warned against “returning a Muslim Senate President because the signal out in the public is that there’s an islamisation agenda. No right thinking person would want that let alone aspire to counter the president’s choice as a Muslim candidate.
“Nigeria is a multi-religious state. We already have a Muslim president and vice president. We can’t afford to have another Muslim as Senate President. Meaning the number one to three would be Muslims.
And if in the event a Muslim emerges as the speaker of the House of Representatives, then we have a lot of troubles in our hands because one religion would dominate the polity. And that won’t augur well for Tinubu’s administration.
“We are calling on Abdul-Azeez Yari to step down and support president Tinubu’s choice. Akpabio is able and qualified. He’s not called an uncommon senator for nothing.
“At this time in our country, we need unity in order to usher in prosperity that the new administration has promised.
“He has started well by removing the fuel subsidy. Hard as this may pose for the citizenry, it is for the meantime and for good.
“Already, other neighbouring countries are feeling the pain. They now know what we who produce this premium commodity have been feeling for many years.
“Fortunately for us, ours is for a short time. The Dangote refinery would come on steam with other solutions the president has spelt out, we would emerge strong.
“In order to deliver this, the country needs a strong and collaborative national assembly with the president of the assembly who not only understands the need for a peaceful and cordial working environment but takes part in the executive’s development agenda.
“Times for politics are over. It’s now time for serious business. That’s why the unnecessary noise about who becomes the Senate president should have been done away with long ago.
“We reiterate our call for the party’s choice to be honoured so that the opposition would not cash in on the infighting in the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
“We equally call on the APC leadership to weigh the big stick and ensure other candidates step down. No individual can be bigger than the party.
“The party has announced its choice, we call on the national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu to ensure there’s a smooth election on Tuesday by reading the riot act to the candidates opposing the party’s choice.
“The mistakes of 2015 must not be repeated otherwise there would be a frosty relationship between the executive and the legislature. And that would likely impact negatively on the polity and economic agenda of the president,” the group said.
