10th NASS: National Assembly Leadership Should Be On Merit And Competency And Not Ethnicity – Yerima Shettima

Yerima Shettima, National President of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), has stated that competence, integrity, and national orientation should be the criteria on which the next Senate President emerges as the leadership struggle for the 10th National Assembly continues.

Shettima stated that the senators have the power to determine whether or not to give the South-East area the senate presidency and that “Nigeria has come a long way from the era of tying national responsibilities to specific ethnic groups.”

The AYCF President revealed these in a weekend interview with Vanguard in response to the All Progressives Congress (APC)’s (APC) discussion of the zoning formula and permutations.

“I think the issue of the Senate Presidency should be about who contributed what votes to the victory of the ruling party, which has the majority in the Senate at the moment. The Senators are mature enough to take care of themselves by appointing the candidate they feel has the competence, the integrity, and the national outlook,” Shettima said.

“I doubt if it will be about Igbo candidates or such other considerations. Nigeria has come a long way from the era of tying national responsibilities to specific ethnic groups. And whether or not it would be unfair if the Senate Presidency slot goes to the Igbo or not, that will be determined by the real outcome of the new senators’ choice of leaders on the floor of the chamber in June.”

Speaking on the emergence of President-elect Bola Tinubu after the 2023 presidential election, Shettima said, “The emergence of Bola Tinubu is historic because he got fewer votes in his immediate constituency than his opponents. He got more votes in the North, which means the election was a clear example that Nigeria’s voting pattern is fast changing.”

About the election petitions challenging Tinubu’s victory, he said, “I don’t want to comment on the merit or demerit of the election by adjudging it fair or otherwise because it’s a matter before the Election Petitions Tribunal. 

“The case is ongoing and no verdict from the court yet. I’m sure at the end of the ongoing case before the tribunal, Nigerians will see the final verdict of the Tribunal. That will be the best time to comment freely.”