A group from the South-South and South-Eastern geo-political zones, under the aegis of The Eastern Region Assembly (TERA), has thrown its weight behind the emergence of Ike Ekweremadu as deputy Senate president.
In a statement signed by Tony Uranta, its protem secretary, the group renewed its commitment to a united Nigeria with respect for cultural diversity and impartial application of the Rule of Law.
Uranta harped on the need for political tolerance so that the nation can achieve its optimal greatness in peace and unity.
According to him, the election of Ekweremadu, a PDP senator, in a Senate with APC majority, should not raise any constitutional eyebrows, insisting that it is not unusual in the history of Nigerian politics.
He recalled that on the eve of the Senate leadership election on June 9, similar scenario had played out in Benue and Plateau State Houses of Assembly, respectively, where the PDP had majority in both legislative houses but the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) produced speakers while the ruling PDP had deputy speakers.
Any attempt to prosecute principal officers of the Red Chamber due to alleged forgery of the 2015 Senate Rule would be deemed as ‘undue political interference,’ he said.
The statement reads in part: “As concerned Nigerians, we wonder if there really could be an issue of forgery or any offence whatsoever for any police to investigate regarding the Senate Elections of 9th June 2015, and posit, without prejudice to any legal position taken by the FGN, that any purported investigation of Senate Procedures/Proceedings by any Body/Agency other than said Senate could, at best, be seen only as undue political interference in the internal process of the Senate.
“The law is that Senators will elect among themselves, irrespective of political party, a Senate President and a Deputy Senate President. That applies, also, to Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative, as well as Speakers and Deputy Speakers of State Assemblies. This has been the law and practice since 1999, when we adopted the Presidential system of Government.
“Following this law and practice, an APP member became Speaker of Cross River House of Assembly in 1999, with a PDP majority of the membership of the House. The PDP produced the Deputy Speaker.
“Before that, in 1979, Chief Edwin Umezoke of NPP was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives in an NPN dominated House of Representatives. NPN produced the Deputy Speaker. Also in the Senate of that era Dr Wayas of NPN was Senate President, and NPP a minority party produced the Deputy Senate President.
“No self-respecting pundit of Nigerian politics can claim to have forgotten that in 2014, then-Speaker Tambuwal of PDP moved over to APC while the PDP was still in the majority within the House. He retained his position because it is constitutional and usual. One remembers many praising the development as ‘democracy in action.’
“Has ‘Democracy in Action’ developed new definitions because some powerful interest groups are not comfortable with the person or zonal background of Senator Ekweremadu?! Or, is the publicly-averred intent to negatively perceive/treat certain zones, because of voting patterns, to be taken seriously by Nigerians and other citizens of the Free World?”
OWEDE AGBAJILEKE, Abuja
