The Chairman, Senate Committee on Works, Kabiru Gaya (APC, Kano) has declared his intention to run for the position of Deputy Senate President in the Ninth Assembly.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, Gaya, a former Governor of Kano State, said he was contesting for the position being the most ranking federal lawmaker from the North West geopolitical zone.
According to him, this is the time to pay back the region having produced the highest number of votes in the just concluded Presidential election.
Gaya also said there were strong indications that the APC leadership is considering zoning the Speaker, House of Representatives to the South West, deputy speaker to North Central, while it had already zoned the position of the Senate President to the North East.
He said, “If the six zones are accommodated in the sharing formula for the National Assembly leadership positions, four of them contributed tremendously to the election of Mr. President.
“The South West, which has now got the position of the Speaker, North East which has not got the position of Senate President , North Central has the position of Deputy Speaker.
“Considering the zoning arrangement, it is clear that the North West has been left behind and I am a ranking senator from the North West. That means the deputy senate president position should go to North West”.
He said Nigerians should rise above ethnic consideration and ensure that the most qualified persons are elected into positions instead employing sentiments to determine appointments.
He said there was nothing wrong with the northern part of the country to produce the President and Deputy President of the senate, neither will it be out of order for President Buhari to come from the same zone with the DSP.
He said, “As a former governor, I have the capacity and capability to run the office of the DSP. Politics is leadership. Those who work hard should be rewarded. My Deputy Senate Presidency will work to restore faith of Nigerians in the Legislature again”.
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
