As Izunaso met President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja, Senator‑elect for Imo West, he reiterated his ambition to become Senate President. Izunaso, a former senator (2007‑2011) and former Organising Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), argued that he is the most senior member of the upper chamber from the South‑East and South‑South, making him the most qualified candidate. “I am the oldest Senator in both the South‑East and South‑South, and there is no APC senator from these zones older than me,” he told State House correspondents. “I entered the Senate in 2007 after serving in the House of Representatives, and I have been with the party for five solid years, helping to steer it to victory in 2015 and 2019 as National Organising Secretary. We have paid our dues.” He added that the Senate Presidency should be zoned to the South‑East, describing it as “fair and natural” for the party.
Meanwhile, Senator‑elect Ali Ndume of Borno South, who was canvassing for South‑East zoning, accused several aspirants for the Senate presidency of lobbying their peers to accept large sums of money in exchange for votes. In a BBC Hausa interview, Ndume said, “There is vote‑buying. The votes being bought do not end with the masses; even a senator’s vote is up for sale.” He noted that, although it is widely known that politicking has begun in both chambers of the National Assembly to elect principal officers of the 10th NASS, many aspirants have resorted to money politics. Since lawmakers returned from the election break on 14 March, aspirants for top Senate and House of Representatives positions have begun declaring their interests. Notable Senate‑presidency hopefuls include Senators‑elect Ali Ndume (Borno), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Orji Kalu (Abia), Jibrin Barau (Kano) and Mohammed Musa (Niger), among others. Other coveted posts are deputy Senate president, Speaker of the House, and the various majority and minority leadership positions (leader, deputy leader, chief whip, deputy whip, etc.).
Ndume lamented that vote‑buying has permeated the campaigns, leaving authorities little room to act. “Nigeria’s politics is completely taken over by the rich; our political scenario is flooded with people who think they can buy anything,” he said. “Money is used, and the truth is that nothing can be obtained without it—unless you add more.” He added that some candidates are contesting solely because they have money, lacking any real understanding of the work of a National Assembly member. Ndume also claimed that the bodies responsible for curbing money politics have themselves been bought off.
Regarding zoning, Ndume rejected the practice for the upcoming Senate elections, urging fellow senators‑elect to focus on qualifications rather than regional quotas. “I do not support zoning for the Senate,” he said. “During the general elections I supported it, but not for the Senate. Bringing in someone from a zone that does not qualify will only tarnish our image. Let the 109 senators‑elect decide who we want.”
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