Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers State has made it clear that he will not support any attempt by his party, the Peoples Democratic Party ,PDP, to produce the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly.
Wike said that it will amount to a huge distraction for the new President from the All Progressives Congress, APC, to have the Senate or House of Representatives being led by a President or Speaker from an opposition party.
He said such move will engender lack of cooperation between the Executive and the Legislature.
According him, such a development would also hamper good governance and ultimately, lead to suffering for Nigerians.
Wike made this clarification on Tuesday, during a media chat with some selected broadcast media stations held at his private residence at Rumueprikom, Obio-Akpor local government area of the state, suburb of Port Harcourt.
The governor pointed out that in democracy, the majority party should be allowed to produce the Senate President, while the minority parties settle for other slots for a smooth Executive and Legislature relationship.
He said this is to forestall the unhealthy relationship that occurred during the Eighth Senate when Senator Bukola Saraki was elected President of Senate while in the opposition party with the help of some aggrieved lawmakers from the ruling party.
He confirmed that a couple of aspirants for the leadership of the national assembly have reached out to him for support.
On the argument that the President-Elect and his Deputy won with a Muslim-Muslim ticket and so the Senate President should be a a Christian, Wike said he does not like playing with religious sentiment.
He said he will wait to see the background of the candidates selected by the ruling APC before choosing one that will ensure inclusiveness for every part of the a country.
