The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has advised the new President of the Nigerian Senate, Godswill Akpabio, to run an all-inclusive National Assembly, even as it congratulated him on his emergence as the Senate President.
A member of the ACF, Alhaji Musa Saidu, said this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
According to him, the former governor of Akwa Ibom State should learn a lesson from the rigours of the election campaign and carry everyone along in his administration of the Senate.
“We wish to congratulate Senator Godswill Akpabio on his election as the new Senate President, we wish him well as he settles down in his new job.
“However, Akpabio should take a lesson from his election by ensuring inclusiveness in running the affairs of the national assembly.
“Akpabio should always remember that he has been elected as the Nigerian Senate President and not a Senate President for a particular part of the country.
“It is imperative to say that we were not too happy with the manner he ran the affairs of the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs in terms of inclusiveness, when he was the minister, ” he said.
Saidu, also the leader of the Arewa Community in Southern Nigeria, cautioned against victimising Sen. Abdulaziz Yari, who contested the Senate Presidency with Akpabio.
“As far as we are concerned, Yari is a hero, in spite of losing the Senate Presidency, securing 46 votes in the election meant that he was a force to reckon with.
“In fact, Yari was not disgraced as he lost the election honourably.
“As I have said before, the North deserves the position of Senate President, because of its massive votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 General Election.
“But since it is the will of God that Akpabio will be the Senate President, we have nothing to say,” he said.
