Musings from the Red Chamber By Oladayo Ogunbowale
Watching the proceedings on the floor of the Red Chamber, one can see the intrigues and tantrums being thrown by the Yari camp and the Akpabio camp.
Deep down, the forces behind the Yari camp are deftly trying to avoid a Southern regional control of the three arms of government (just as it happened under Buhari).
Objectively speaking, if Sen Godswill Akpabio makes it to the Senate President seat, we will be having the Executive led by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Judiciary led by Hon Justice Olukayode Ariwoola and then Sen Godswill Akpabio leading the Legislature. All Southerners.
Some core northern blokes do not want this.
The other side of the coin is the fact that we already have the President, Vice President and CJN, all of the Islamic Faith. An instance being considered a misnomer already before, during and after the general elections.
The Akpabio camp, ably led by Mr President himself, has to ensure they do not further divide the nation along religious lines by allowing yet another Northern Muslim such as Sen Abdulazeez Yari to become the president of the 10th Senate.
For the records, Sen Yari remains one of the most influential former Chairman of the Nigerian Governors forum and one can not afford to just wish him away, not forgetting that the Senate is the unofficial retirement home of former governors, some who were under Yari’s chairmanship not too long ago.
The author however predicts an Akpabio Senate Presidency.
Oladayo Ogunbowale is erstwhile S.A. Communications to Gov Seyi Makinde
I don’t know the reason why Nigerians view national issues along religious and ethnic divide. Honestly I feel we should place competence and expertise above all things. In fact we would have missed it big if religious and ethnic predictions of Christian religious leaders have come to pass. It is high time we leave religion to religious leaders and stop bringing it up all the time for our country to progress.