By Magnus Aluma, Abakaliki
The Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi has said he wants to be Nigeria’s Senate President in the 10th National Assembly. Governor Umahi , who recently won the senatorial seat for Enonyi South Zone on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) told a news conference in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital that he wants the position zoned to the Southeast, to enable him to contest.
He called the president-elect, Bola Tinubu and the APC to consider giving the Southeast the chance. Governor Umahi further urged the APC, to zone the position of the speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Northeast. Umahi said that zoning the two positions to the zones, would amount to equity, justice, and fairness.
He advised the 10th National Assembly to set aside the Senate standing rules for electing presiding officers. He said: “let me also plead and request the leadership of APC, the President and Vice President-Elect to, please, for the sake of equity, justice and fairness zone the Senate Presidency to Southeast and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Northwest.”
He added: ” I am asking the Senate to set aside the rules so that we can get the best for the leadership of the National Assembly.” It is, however, a tradition for the National Assembly, to elect lawmakers who are serving two terms or more as Presiding Officers.
It was learnt that in determining who serves as presiding officer, senate rules allow only a ranking senator to be selected for this purpose, at the apex law making organ of the government.
