Longest serving senator from Southeast, Sen. Osita Izunaso, lobbies Pres. Buhari for 10th Senate Presidency

Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, senators from the Southeast have intensified lobbying for the position of the Senate President.

The latest is the Senator representing Imo West Senatorial District, Sen. Osita Izunaso, who stormed Aso Rock on Tuesday to lobby President Muhammadu Buhari.

Persecondnews recalls that a former Abia Governor, Sen. Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared interest in the position and has stepped up lobbying for the job.

Speaking with State House correspondents after meeting with the President, Izunaso rated himself as the most qualified and eligible being the oldest member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly from the Southeast or Southsouth.

“I have paid my dues as both a ranking senator and senior member of the ruling party.

“Several discussions, first of all, you know I was a recipient of the national honours, I have not even thanked Mr President and I came in to thank him. Of course, we discussed the issues concerning the 10th Senate extensively.

“If I’m the oldest senator in both the Southeast and the South-South, I think the question should be obvious. I’m the oldest, there is no senator today in APC from Southeast or Southsouth.

“That is older than me in the Senate and that is an institution that believes in ranking. So I’m the highest-ranking senator in both Southeast and Southsouth.

“I came to the Senate in 2007, I was in the House of Representatives, I have been in the party for five good, solid years. I ran the party to the best of my ability as National Organizing Secretary of this party that saw us to victory in 2015 and 2019; so I think we have paid our dues,” he told reporters.

On which zone should produce the Senate President, Izunaso said: “The office of the Senate President should be zoned to the Southeast. It is only fair and natural that the party should zone it to the southeast”.

Reacting to Kalu’s candidacy for the job, Izunaso said: “I don’t want to talk about him but I am telling you that I am the oldest Senator in the Southeast and Southsouth and we are waiting for the party.”