A coalition of civil society and youth groups under the aegis of Partners for Legislative Agenda for Nigeria, PLAN, has asked senators-elect not to allow external bodies influence their decision as they prepare to elect the new leadership of the 9th Senate.
This was as it said the North Central geopolitical zone should be completely out of the race for the Senate Presidency.
PLAN, at a press conference, Wednesday, in Abuja, by its chairman, Charles Ibiang, hailed the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, "for looking in the direction of the North-East."
It, however, warned against the imposition of any particular candidate on the upper legislative chamber.
"We are concerned about the need to avoid the unnecessary rancorous politicking that led to the emergence of Senator Abubakar Bukola Saraki and the subsequent psychological and physical combat that followed. This issue as we all know affected governance negatively.
"The North-Central should be totally out of the race for the sake of equity. If we must sustain this political consensus which is historic and very politically healthy, we strongly support the zoning of the Senate Presidency to the North-East," it insisted.
"PLAN therefore sincerely commends the APC for looking in the direction of the North-East. It is the right thing to do. But we equally disagree and warn against any attempt to impose a candidate.
" While it is imperative for a ruling political party to introduce a semblance of order and political stability in the leadership choice, historical antecedent has shown that imposition through influence peddling and invoking the name of the President had led to instability in leadership succession in the National Assembly in the past,"it said.
The group, in a speech read to newsmen, said: "There are a number of experienced, exposed, versatile, cosmopolitan and broad-minded ranking Senators from the Northeast. The search for a Senate President must be broadened to get for Nigeria, the very best. The idea of a handpicked Senate President is as undemocratic as it is undesirable.
"The Senate must rise to the occasion. It is incumbent on it, on behalf of Nigerians who elected them, to choose a Senate President that can build bipartisan and nationalistic bridges which will contribute in stabilizing the polity and bridging the unity gap.
"We are also shocked and disturbed that in order to impose a candidate, the name of President Muhammadu Buhari is being dragged into the agenda of a few, under the guise of the vague term, Presidency.
"It must be clear that President Buhari has not shown any sign of supporting any project that undermines participatory democracy. Just recently, he openly stated that the electorate in states where supplementary elections are held are wiser now, and should make their choices."
