“Whatever political considerations we may have, the stability of this nation is far more important.” 

Those were the words of the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, as he expresses his support for the zoning proposal of the 10th National Assembly. 

The election of Godswill Akpabio as President of the Senate and Jibrin Barau as Deputy President of the Senate, respectively, will ensure Nigeria’s stability, he believes.

Shettima gave this opinion while speaking to Akpabio and Barau, who were among over 70 senators-elect that paid him a visit in Abuja on Wednesday.

Shettima, a senator, emphasised that “politics should not be a means of disuniting our people; rather, it should be a means of uniting us.

“Both the President-elect and Vice President-elect are Muslims.

“The Christian faith should be given the next position in the interests of the country’s stability and unity.

“Otherwise, it would support the APC-led administration’s purported Islamisation objective.

“It would be perceived as a gratuitous insult to our Christian brothers and sisters who sprang to our aid.

“That is why I was pleased with the party leadership’s decision to make my uncommon brother and leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio, the number three citizen of this country.

“Whatever political considerations we may have, the stability of this nation is far more important.

“Before we can discuss politics and positions, we need to have a stable and united nation.

“In the current conditions, this is what our leader could do to unite the country.

Nation Takes Precedence 

Shettima also said that he “would contact other Senate presidential candidates who are unhappy with the selections.

“Senator Abdulaziz Yari is a brother and a friend of mine. From 2011 through 2019, we served as governors on the same political platform.

“However, the nation takes precedence over other personal considerations.” I’m pleased with what I see here today.

“It is a reflection of those who crave the stability and unity of this country in a bipartisan manner.

“I praised the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, and Ebonyi State Governor, David Umahi, for their contributions and support for the APC.

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“The South-South Governor-General is a man of honour and integrity. Wike believes that whatever you see is what you get.

“These are people who have made enormous contributions to the stability of this country.

“Umahi is the South-East’s most effective governor. He is a man of honesty and honor.

“He wanted to run for Senate leadership, but he had to back down due to the party’s choice.

“I’ve seen the names of those who haven’t yet joined us. Rest confident that we will actively engage them and convince them of the importance of their participation.

“My boss, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is a seasoned politician.

“He knows how to bring them in before the inauguration of the National Assembly,” Shettima said.

Nigeria’s Success

Akpabio said his supporters came from many political parties and chose to work together to produce the leadership for the 10th Senate in order to stabilise Nigeria.

Also, he told Shettima that the Stability Group thought that the Tinubu-Shettima administration’s success would be Nigeria’s success.

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“We are well aware that once a Senator enters the Red Chambers, he or she is no longer a Senator of a political party, but a Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Members of the Stability Group will work with the incoming administration to evaluate policies and ensure the country’s stability.

“We are not here because the party has allocated the position to the highest-ranking Senator from the South-South, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

“We came together to ensure national cohesion and polity stability, and to ensure that Nigeria moves in the right direction.”

Prior to the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly on June 13, when the Senate and House presiding officers will be adopted or elected, many pressure groups comprised of intra and inter-party coalitions had arisen in the House.

On May 8, 2023, the APC NWC released the zoning formula for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly, electing Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom/South-South) as Senate President, Jibrin Barau (Kano/North-West) as Deputy Senate President, Tajudeen Abbas (Kaduna/North-West) as Speaker, and Benjamin Kalu (Abia/South-East) as Deputy Speaker.

However, the ruling party does not have the majority vote in the two chambers.