The Senator-elect from Imo West, Osita Izunaso, has said it is his turn to be the next Senate president.
Mr Izunaso urged President Bola Tinubu and leadership of the All Progressive Congress (APC) to reverse the earlier endorsement of Godswill Akpabio as the next senate president and endorse him for the position considering his sacrifices for development of the party since the formation stage to the stage it is today.
The senator – elect made the call on Monday while speaking with journalists shortly after the Interdenominational service held at the Ecumenical Centre, Abuja.
Mr Izunaso, a former National Organising Secretary of APC, claimed that he is the most qualified person to lead the upper legislative chamber among the contenders for the senate presidency.
Aside from Messrs Izunaso and Akpabio , other senators-elect aspiring for the senate presidency are Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia), Sani Musa (Niger) and Patrick Ndubueze (Imo).
Struggle
Mr Izunaso said he was part of the founding members of the APC who sacrificed their time and energy for the growth of the party from the formation stage.
He said during the formation stage when the party seemed to have no chances of winning , he was part of those that committed their time to hold the party tight.
“I am a founding member of APC, we traveled to Lagos every weekend for good six months during the formation stages, to coin the name and get it right, we designed the logo, bringing together components of other parties making up the proposed APC then before going for registration in the Corporate Affairs Commission. Governor Fashola is alive today, he knows all I am saying because he was part of the whole thing from day one.
“We conducted 36 governorship primaries, there was not a single litigation, why, because we did the right thing. You will agree with me that is what it means to show capacity. You know we battled a sitting president, therefore, we needed to do everything right to wrestle power from them. So if I could hold the party at that level from its formation stage when we didn’t even know we were going to win, why won’t I be able to lead the Red Chamber effectively as senate president?
“So for me, I can actually say, it should be a payback time for me, having sacrificed my time, energy, scarce resources and services for the APC. I think it is only fair and just for the party to think it wise to compensate me, I think the time is now.
“Having served selflessly without blemish through rain and shine, during turbulent times when there was no ray of hope for the party, I think I deserve to be compensated; and having contested election and fortunately returned to the Senate, I think I am well qualified to vie for the position of the senate president, and why won’t I seek for it and why wouldn’t APC in their wisdom not consider and compensate me?
“I’ve paid my dues in the party, I have sacrificed a lot enough to earn me adequate compensation from the APC; if I am not qualified, that should have been a different ball game.”
The Imo Senator-elect added that he was part of the individuals who funded the APC from formation stage to where it is today.
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“The people dragging the position of Senate President with me today were in PDP, they were not in APC, they castigated the party then as dead on arrival during the formation stage, and recall, PDP did everything within their powers then to frustrate the registration of the party at the Corporate Affairs Commission because they were in power.
“We formed and funded the party, nurtured and ran it through its formation stage till today. some of them just joined the Party about four to five years ago. Yes, it is said the more the merrier, so, we heartily welcome them to APC, but if we hadn’t sustained the party and won, they may not have joined,” Mr Izunaso said.
The election of the next senate president will hold during the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly on 13 June.
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