National Assembly building, Abuja. Photo: Olatunji Obasa
A former Minister of Mines and Steel Development, Abubakar Bwari, has urged the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the Senate Presidency in the 10th National Assembly to the North Central geopolitical zone. He argued that such zoning would help the region tackle insecurity, poor infrastructure and other forms of economic sabotage. Speaking to journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, Bwari—who also served as Chief Whip of the House of Representatives—highlighted the North Central’s abundant arable land and rich mineral resources, which could provide alternatives to oil and gas if properly explored.
Bwari lamented that bandits have driven farmers from their farms, seized fishing ponds and taken over mining sites, thereby deterring investors. He expressed hope that the APC leadership and the President‑elect would support the North Central’s aspiration to produce the next Senate President, noting that “following the conclusion of the Presidential and National Assembly elections, two very important positions have gone to the South‑West and North‑East geopolitical zones. The president and vice‑president‑elect have been elected from those zones. Other zones are now clamouring for the third most important position in the country, that is the Senate Presidency.”
According to Bwari, the North Central performed exceptionally well for the APC in the last election, delivering significant votes for both the President‑elect and Vice‑President‑elect. Given its strategic location and electoral performance, he argued that the region deserves the “number three” position. He described the North Central’s aspiration as fair and just, emphasizing that its central position in balancing national affairs makes it well‑suited to produce the presiding officer of the Senate.
Bwari explained that zoning the Senate Presidency to the North Central would prioritize the issue of insecurity in the upper chamber. Committees on Defence, National Security and Police Affairs would be compelled to intensify oversight of the military and security agencies, ensuring they fulfill their responsibilities. A Senate President from the North Central, he said, would draw on personal and constituent experiences with bandits and terrorists to propose practical solutions, supporting legislative interventions that aid the military and security forces.
He cited Senator Sani Musa, a candidate for Senate President, as having gathered substantial information and solutions to the security menace. If elected, Musa could leverage his experience from the 9th National Assembly to address recruitment, reward and punishment systems within the security forces, and to ensure that funds allocated for tackling insecurity are released and disbursed appropriately.
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