The Chief Whip of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has declared his intention to contest for the position of the President of the Senate in the 10th National Assembly.
Senator Kalu, who won re-election in the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections to represent the people of Abia North Senatorial District in the Red Chamber, was the first aspirant to declare his interest in the number three position in the West African country.
He made the declaration while briefing journalists at the National Assembly complex on Tuesday in Abuja.
Meanwhile, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) maintained majority in the Senate, having secured 57 seats so far and the APC senators eyeing Senate presidency have been lobbying their colleagues to seek their support.
Other ranking senators who are eying the position are Sani Musa (Niger), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Barau Jibrin (Kano) and Dave Umahi (Ebonyi).
However, APC leadership said it has not zoned the Senate presidency to any part of the country.
But Senator Orji Uzor Kalu told reporters that it was his turn to become President of the Senate being a ranking lawmaker and from the South East.
He also declared that he would not be comfortable with Muslim Senate Presidency in the 10th National Assembly, saying that choosing a Christian Senate President would ensure balance in the polity and give other faith-based religion a sense of belonging.
His position may not be unconnected with the fact that the APC produced two Muslims, Alhaji Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Alhaji Kashim Shettima as the President-elect and Vice President-elect, making it politically impossible to have a Muslim occupy the number three position in the country.
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