Senate Presidency: S/S group drums support for Abdulazizi Yari 

• Lists reasons why he is the best for the job

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

As the race for the leadership of the forthcoming 10th National Assembly hots up, a group, South-South Youth Assembly, SSYA, has thrown its weight behind a former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, describing him as the best man for the job.

The group, in a statement on Friday by its President, Comrade Emmanuel Nkpubre, advanced various reasons why Yari stands out among all those eyeing the third highest political office in the country.

The SSYA pointed out that this is the best time to do away with sectionalism, regionalism, ethnicity and other nomenclature and focus on developing the nation.

According to the group, “since the nation transmuted to democracy, the South South, South East and North Central had occupied the position, except the North West, which, overtime, had contributed majority votes.

“From the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) record, the North West contributed the majority votes that helped Ahmed Bola Tinubu to win the presidency.

“This is the time to look inward for somebody, who has the capacity to deliver what has been lacking in the country.

“His Excellency, Abdulaziz Yari is capable and will partner with the President-elect to help the region to fight for resource control we have been clamoring for. Over time, our people have not helped us, it is outsiders that have helped us.”

“For example, it was through late President Musa Yar’Adua and the help of Olusegun Obasanjo that the zone was able to get Ministry of Niger Delta. We have the hope that Abdulaziz Yari will fight for us to get what we want.

“It was also through these two Presidents that the region was able to get Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC). When Joseph Wayas was the President of the Senate, the region didn’t benefit anything, same thing with President Goodluck Jonathan. His government was not beneficial to South South. All the benefits that the region haf came from outsiders.

“We charge the Senators representing us to vote massively for Abdulaziz Yari for Senate presidency and we want to warn that any of them, who votes for Godswill Akpabio will not benefit anything from the youths from this region.

“We don’t want to send somebody there that will disgrace us. We don’t want to send somebody, who will not listen to us. This is not the time to play on our intelligence.

“This is the time to build this country and look for people that are capable. The capable person here is Abdulaziz Yari. He’s cool minded and will not rubbish the image of the parliament. Unlike some contenders, who have so many baggages that will dent the image of the Senate and the nation.

“Abdulaziz Yari will take the Senate to a greater height and that is the kind of person the upper chamber of the National Assembly needs now”, the group said.