Gov. David Umahi of Ebonyi says the South-East zone of the country deserves the position of the Senate President to deepen the nation’s democracy.
Umahi stated this when he addressed State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday in Abuja.
According to him, having given the needed support to the President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) leading to his success at the polls, the people of the South-East should be compensated with the position of the Senate President.
The governor, who is a Senator-elect for Ebonyi South Senatorial District and an aspirant for the seat of Senate President, stressed the need to zone the position to the South-East for the sake of equity and justice.
“I think that every region clamouring for the presidency of the Senate to be zoned to it is the right of such people.
”If you look at the true reflection of our society, you will agree with me that the right thing to be done by our leaders without prejudice to their rights and thinking is that the South-East deserves the number three position.
“This is very important and I have always said that you can deliver somebody by the reason of the majority votes of particular regions but you also need the cooperation of the minority people to have a holistic nation to govern.
“So, for inclusiveness, unity of the country and for everybody to be carried along, the South-East deserves the position and so far, nobody has been able to say this is the reason why the South-East should not be given that position and I am pleading for that,” he said.
According to the governor, the zone worked so hard for the APC even before the presidential election.
“I know what effort we made as a people for the unity of the country.
”I know the way we were regarded and we understand that we are stronger while we are together and we made vows to our people while we were campaigning for APC, we assured them that we belong to an equitable and fair Nigeria.
“Now it has come to a point where that position we took should be put to practice and that is what we are begging for because the chain is as strong as the weakest link and it is time for healing, inclusiveness as well as the time to move this country forward,” he said.
The governor thanked Buhari for his support towards the completion of the construction of an airport in the state, expressing optimism that the project will boost socio-economic activities in the state.