By Maduabuchi Nmeribeh, Kano
The Nigeria Patriotic Elders Forum, has congratulated the 10th Senate President, Senator Goodwill Akpabio and his Deputy, Senator Barau Jubrin, for their victory to head the leadership of the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly, urging them to be fair and just to all irrespective of political, religious and ethnic backgrounds.
The Elders urged the Akpabio-led Senate leadership to put the interest of Nigeria and Nigerians first in all their dealings and deliberations, and carry everybody along for the overall interest and development of the nation.
Their advise and congratulatory message was contained in a Statement signed by the Chairman, Dr. Bature AbdulAziz, and made available to journalists in Kano on Tuesday.
The Statement further stated that the politics of who becomes the Senate President has come and gone with losers and winners emerging, but quickly urged Akpabio and his team to extend a hand of friendship, brotherhood and fellowship to their rivals so that love, unity and progress shall continue to reign supreme in the Senate.
The Elders also advised those who lost to accept defeat and join hands with the new Senate leadership to move the country forward.
Dr. Bature AbdulAziz noted that,. ” there was no gainsaying the fact that the emergences of the Senate President was a tough battle, but be that as it may, Godswill Akpabio is now number three citizen in Nigeria. This means that he is a leader for everybody.”
The Elders also came in defence of Vice President Hashim Shettima over his recent comments which supported the emergence of a Christian Senate President from the South, and urged his critics to desist from creating controversies capable of tearing the country apart.
They maintained that Vice President Shettima’s statement was mischievously misconstrued.
According to Dr Bature AbdulAziz, “sometimes, some Nigerians would wait patiently for a leader to talk; and without recourse to understanding what he was saying, they will now change everything against him because of their mischievous agenda.”
The Nigerian Elders, in the Statement, tasked the new leadership of the 10th National Assembly not to be a rubber stamp to the Executive arm, “but at the same time not to stand against the good wishes and policies of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.
“Nigerians have a lot of expectations on this administration, including the National Assembly. They should not operate as enemies or opposition. They should work together closely so as to salvage the difficulties the citizens are currently facing.”
The Elders Forum, however, appealed to Nigerians to, “shun the negative tendencies of turning around leaders statements just like what they did to the Vice President in efforts to create bad blood and make him an enemy.”