Except the move drowns in the murky waters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) politics and the raging National Assembly (NASS) leadership crisis, the South-South geopolitical zone may produce the next deputy Senate president.

APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, declared yesterday that except for the Senate president and speaker of the House of Representatives, which have been settled, other NASS positions were yet to be zoned.

Oshiomhole, however, said that the South-South is being considered for the office of the deputy Senate president.

In an interaction with LEADERSHIP last night, Oshiomhole, speaking through his spokesman, Mr. Simon Egbebulem, stated that APC was yet to zone the Senate top offices, but added that the South-South was in the picture for the office of deputy Senate president.

There were media reports that the party had already zoned the position to the South-South, especially to Oshiomhole’s kinsman, Senator Francis Alimekhena, who has been re-elected to represent Edo North Senatorial District in 9the Assembly.

The report accused him of trying to corner the office for Alimikhena, but the APC chairman described the insinuations as untrue.

Oshiomohole said: “Nothing like that has been done. Nobody has said this is the person for that position. But the party is working on how to share the position so that every part of the country will have a sense of belonging.

“They have started the process and the party is backing Femi Gbajabiamila and Ahmed Lawan for the position of Speaker and Senate president respectively but for other positions, the party is still working to sort out these offices,” he said.

Asked if the South-South was being considered for the deputy Senate presidency, the media aide replied affirmatively, but stressed that the final decision lies with the party.

Other major contenders for the office are Senators Robert Ajayi Boroffice, Oluremi Tinubu and Ovie Omo-Agege.

Omo-Agege is favoured to clinch the position because of his wide network within the APC coupled with the fact that he has commenced intensive lobby amongst his colleagues.

•Excerpted from Leadership report

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