Key highlights:

• The former Governor of Ebonyi will represent Ebonyi’s south senatorial district in the 10th assembly.
• He has called on the APC leadership to zone the Senate presidency to South East.
• He adds zoning will show Nigerians that we are on the path of total renewal of the country which it direly needs presently.

David Umahi, the  Governor of Ebonyi State and Senator-Elect representing Ebonyi south senatorial district has declared his intention to run to contest for the 10th Senate Presidency.

The Ebonyi Governor disclosed this when he addressed members of the state executive council on Wednesday.

He also urged the APC leadership to zone the Senate presidency to South East.

Zoning

Umahi appealed to the Part’s superior to zone the position of the senate president to the South East and the House of Representatives to the North West, he said:

• “I appeal to the party’s national leadership, the president-elect and his vice to zone the Senate presidency to South East.
• “They should also zone the House of Representatives speakership to the North-West as these would calm frayed nerves.
• “This will show Nigerians that we are on the path of total renewal of the country which it direly needs presently.”

He also urged the Senate to set aside the rule which allowed only high-ranking senators to contest for the position, adding:

• “God breaks barriers and everyone elected into the Senate is the best.
• “We should allow God to choose who leads the Senate and not set obstacles in our ways,”
• “I have been in public service for the past 16 years and being a state governor is more complex.
• “We have made Ebonyi totally an APC state, notching the three senatorial seats and four out of the six houses of representative seats.

Party Supremacy

He noted that the southeast zone voted massively for the APC as he seek everyone’s prayers and support to achieve the goal, adding that the subject is the decision of the party’s national leadership and he will not go against such.


Umahi also urged that this is the time for the country’s leaders to make sacrifices in uniting the country as the task before us is enormous.

Backstory

Umahi earlier this month advised the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to adopt a zoning formula in determining new leaders for the 10th National Assembly (NASS)

He added that doing so will ensure equity and balance of power among the geo-political zones of the country.

• “I am a party man and I am very committed to a decent process. The party and the President-Elect directed that we shouldn’t talk about that yet but we should all go back and work for the Gubernatorial and Houses of Assembly elections.
• “But I believe strongly that zoning must be done by the party.
• ”It should not allow everybody to jump to the race and when the time comes for zoning they must look at all the parameters in order to carry every region along. This is very important,” he said.