Members-elect of the House of Representatives Abdulmumin Jibrin has said anyone who loves Nigeria will not support a northern Muslim lawmaker as senate president.
Jibrin, a former representative spoke on Wednesday during a television interview. He said using the 1999 template, the next senate president should come from the south-east geopolitical zone.
Jibrin is expected to represent Kiru/Bebeji federal constituency in Kano state at the 10th National Assembly.
Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly in June, there has been intense politicking by some lawmakers-elect for leadership positions in the senate and House of Representatives.
Since president-elect Bola Tinubu and vice president-elect Kashim Shettima are both Muslims, there have been insinuations that there is a need for religious balancing in leadership positions of the National Assembly.
Commenting on the situation, Jibrin said the positions of the Deputy Senate President and Speaker should be zoned to the north-central and north-west, respectively.
“My personal opinion — if you look at the entire controversy of the Muslim-Muslim ticket, I think anybody who loves this country should not be thinking that the number 3 position should be a northern Muslim,” he said.
“The appropriate thing is that the position should go to a southern Christian. I believe that anybody who wants it the other way round loves himself more than the country.”
