South-East Excluded As National Assembly Leaders Emerge

The South-East geopolitical zone has been excluded in the scheme of national politics following the election of presiding officers of the National Assembly on Tuesday.

The position of the President (Muhammadu Buhari) and the Vice-President (Prof. Yemi Osinbajo) are already being occupied by the North-West and the South-West respectively.

The position of the Senate President is being occupied by Senator Ahmed Lawan from the North-East while his deputy, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, is from Delta-Central, South-South Nigeria.

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In the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila from the South-West emerged as Speaker while Idris Wase from the North-Central emerged as the Deputy Speaker.

A former Governor of Abia State, Orji Uzor Kalu, representing Abia-North senatorial district (South-East) ran for the office of the deputy senate president but stepped down on Monday.

Similarly, Ekweremadu from South-East contested against Omo-Agege but lost the senator representing Enugu west, says he ran for office of deputy senate president to make a statement.

Speaking with journalists after losing the contest for the office of deputy senate president to Ovie Omo-Agege, senator representing Delta central, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senator said he only made up his mind to run that morning.

Omo-Agege polled 68 votes to defeat the former deputy senate president who polled 37 votes.

“We need to exonerate ourselves. It was not a contest to win or lose, I wanted to make a statement,” he said.

“I believe there must be a referendum. Look at what happened on a day I was presiding and the chamber was invaded. It is embarrassing that someone who led that operation will take a bow and endorsed and we all work home like it doesn’t matter.

“I wanted a situation where we could present a referendum in respect of what transpired.” he said.

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