As tension is stirred up over the choice of the President of the 10th Senate, Senator Shehu Sani has backed Vice President, Kashim Shettima on the appeal for the senators to elect a Christian to occupy the highly coveted seat, against the position of the Northern Elders Forum that either Islam or Christianity should not be a deciding factor in who leads the Senate.
The northern elders had knocked Vice President Kashim Shettima for saying, “Under the current dispensation, the worst incompetent Southern Christian is better than the most puritanical Northern Muslim for the Presidency of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”.
But in a reaction on the matter, Senator Shehu Sani via his Twitter handle explained: “I watched the video clip, where the VP Shetima spoke about the comparative suitability and competence of a Northern Muslim and a Southern Christian.
“My understanding is that he spoke within the context of their effort to balance the religious scale with regards to who becomes the Senate President. He is evidently making a case for a Christian Senate President in view of the lopsided religious configuration.
“With a Muslim President and VP and a Muslim Speaker and CJN, the ruling party’s only opportunity to score a balance is the Senate Presidency. If they lose this, definitely the accusation against them will be a proven case.
According to the human rights activist, it was very clear that Shettima made a statement of appeal. Adding, “I viewed him as making a case for Akpabio as the only possible option left for APC to clear the air over the issue of the alleged Islamization agenda.”
He said a situation where “the President is a Muslim; the Vice President is a Muslim; the Speaker is a Muslim; the Chief Justice of Nigeria is a Muslim is capable of creating more disharmony, and certainly the reason Shettima said, the worst Southern Christian is better than a Northern Muslim as far as the position of Senate is concerned.”
He, however, said the Northern Elders must have quoted Vice President Shettima out of context. Noting that ” I didn’t see where Shettima said a Christian Senate President is better than any Northern Muslim candidate in the race.”
Shehu Sani, who said, “Professor Ango Abdullahi, as the leader of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), and Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed are respected elder statesmen, whose contributions remained invaluable on issues of national discourse and development, noted, “But on the matter of the election of President of the 10th Senate, I want our elders to see reasons for fairness, equity, and justice.
“If a Christian is denied the seat of Senate President, it will only corroborate the claims of the alleged Islamization agenda.”
He, therefore, urged the 109 senators to consider a Christian to emerge as the President of the 10th Senate to avoid undue political friction and tension.
