Suleiman Samaila, senator representing Kano south senatorial district, says he will choose Abdulaziz Yari, former Zamfara governor, for senate president.
Samaila spoke in an interview with Arise TV on Tuesday.
Yari, the senator-elect representing Zamfara west, had declared his bid to run for the position of senate president.
The Kano senator who is a member of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), said the constitution did not restrict zoning for senate presidency to any party or religion.
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He said senate president position can go to anybody regardless of ethnic or political differences.
“In accordance with the 1999 constitution as amended, it is very clear that everybody has an equal right, irrespective of his political party. You can lobby, and ask your colleagues to support you whether you are from a minority or majority party. Therefore, it is not the issue of NNPP, APC or PDP,” he said.
“I am supporting Abdulaziz Yari, you know, we are in business and politics is a business of interest. Therefore, we like minds in the 10th senate, we have decided to choose Abdulaziz Yari and support him to become the next president of the 10th senate because there are so many reasons and I assure you, Insha Allah, by the 13th of June 2023, we will have it.
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“We have a guiding principle, in accordance with the constitution of Nigeria. We are practising the separation of power system of government. We have three systems of government, executive, legislative and judiciary arm of government.
“We did a conventional zoning ourselves, we picked Abdulaziz Yari from the north-west and we are planning to pick deputy senate president from south-east, it shows you that we have done balancing.
“When it comes to religion, we consider religion in what we are doing and that is the reason Abdulaziz is a Muslim of course, we will have a deputy senate president, a Christian from the southern part of the country.
“You can do zoning but make sure to do it within the power of your zoning. We are fighting for the independence of the legislature. How can we allow the executive to dictate to us when we are the representatives of the people.”
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He said members of different political groups had earlier held a meeting with former President Muhammadu Buhari and there was no mention of a zoning system.
“I keep insisting that as far as the 1999 constitution which we are operating, there is nothing like a party in the selection of the speakership, president of the senate and there is no recognition of region or religion,” he added.
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