Key stakeholders in Northern Nigeria under the auspices of Democratic Research Institute (DRI) at the weekend requested for the leadership positions at the lawmaking arm of government in the country.
The group, in a communique after their one-day round-table discussion in Kaduna state on Friday, said the request for their region to produce leaders of the two chambers of the National Assembly was non-negotiable.
The argued that since both the President-Elect, Bola Tinubu and the head of the Judiciary were Southerners, the North ought to produce the Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Signed by the chairman and secretary of the communique committee, Professor Tukur Muhammad- Baba and Dr. Benjamin Izra Dikki respectively, the group which has roots in 19 states of Northern Nigeria said the Northwest zone gave a total vote of 2,652235; the North Central gave 1,742,993 while the North East gave 1,185,458, adding that the total contributions of the North was 63.5%.
The group threatened to withdraw support for the incoming administration if their request is not granted.
“We, therefore, demand the leadership of the National Assembly in consonance with the provisions of section 14 and sub-sections (1), (2) and (3) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. This is necessary because the North is not in control of both the Executive and the Judiciary arms of government. This demand is non-negotiable,” the group said.
