APC caucus in Igbo-speaking Delta East endorse Lawan and Omo-Agege for senate president and deputy

MEMBERS of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Ndokwa region in the Delta East Senatorial District of Delta State have endorsed Senators Ahmed Lawan and Ovie Omo-Agege as their respective candidates for senate president and deputy.

Ndokwa is an Igbo-speaking part of Delta State occupied by Anioma people who migrated from across the River Niger. Following a meeting of APC stakeholders in the area, they agreed to back Senator Lawan from Yobe North as their candidate for senate president and Senator Omo-Agege from the neighbouring Delta Central Senatorial District as the man to become deputy senate president.

They urged APC leaders to consider the south-south in the zoning of top offices in the ninth senate when it assumes office on May 29. Also, the group further described Senator Omo-Agege as a smart lawyer, an able administrator and a brilliant legislator who is widely loved in his constituency.

Chief Paul Odili, the group's coordinator, said: “After due consideration, we, the Ndokwa Nation APC stakeholders, throw our support behind steps taken by the party to ensure stability of the ninth National Assembly by adopting Lawan as the senate president. We call on all the APC senators to rally round the decision of the party to ensure stability and cohesiveness of the National Assembly and avoid the mistakes of the past.

 “We are at this point in time, urging President Muhammadu Buhari and leaders of our party, our chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and other stakeholders, to consider the south-south in the zoning of top offices in the senate. Looking at the performance of APC in the zone, we believe that the APC in Delta State has recorded tremendous progress considering where the party was in 2015 and today.

“The position of senate president or deputy senate president is most equitable for Delta, given that it polled 220,000 votes for the president, being the highest in the zone. For that reason, we canvass that Omo-Agege, a ranking senator and strong believer in the policies of change and Next Level of the APC, should be considered for the deputy senate president.”

According to the caucus, zoning the senate presidency to Delta State would stabilise the APC locally and enable it to further consolidate on the progress it is making to break the jinx of  one-party rule in the state. Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the APC's publicity secretary, has said that the party is working on a formula for zoning key positions in the senate and House of Representatives.