How Lawmakers and Nigerians Will Benefit From Renewed Hope’s Elephant 

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has pleaded with newly elected lawmakers to support the party’s choice of a consensus candidate, stressing that the Renewed Hope Elephant is big enough for everyone to share.

Speaking at the meeting with the lawmakers in Abuja, Tinubu said, “Talk to your colleagues that are not here to tow the party line and give the Renewed Hope agenda a chance to succeed. The elephant is big enough for all members, and indeed Nigerians, to have a share of the renewed hope in due course.”

The president also said, “At this point in our history and the challenges facing us as a new administration, all hands must be on deck to salvage the unpalatable situation facing the nation. We must see the situation as a pan-Nigerian project for the executive and the legislature to work out solutions to the challenges of the nation.”

Recall that APC had zoned the president of the Senate to the South–South, with Senator Godswill Akpabio as the preferred candidate, and Senator Jubrin Barau from North-West for deputy Senate President.

Congratulating the president on the successful presidential inauguration, Senator Akpabio said since the party announced the zoning arrangements for the leadership of the National Assembly, the majority of the party’s senators-elect led by him and Senator Barau, have reached out in consultation with other senators-elect and senators-elect from opposition political parties with positive results and pledges of support.

Despite the party’s zoning, some aspirants for the Senate presidency have continued to insist on contesting for the positions in open defiance of the zoning arrangement announced by the All Progressives Congress, APC in early May.

Some of the recalcitrant contestants—Senator Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara West), Orji Kalu ( Abia North) and Osita Izunaso ( Imo West)—said they would not step down for the party’s consensus aspirants for the two leadership positions.