Deputy Senate President: Omo-Agege ranked best choice

A recent survey has ranked Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, the Senator Representing Delta Central Senatorial District in the Red Chamber, as the best candidate to occupy the Deputy Senate President’s seat in the soon-to-be inaugurated 9th Senate.

The survey, conducted over the last three months, in which respondents and stakeholders totaling over 10,000 were sampled and surveyed across the South-South geo-political zone to ascertain, among others, who their choice for the position of Deputy Senate President would be, said Omo-Agege, is “the best material with the requisite political experience, parliamentary exposure and administrative expertise.”

Majority of the respondents also said the lawmaker has “inter-governmental competencies and composure, needed skills to navigate and calm the often tension-soaked relations between the Executive and the Legislature, capacity to build most fruitful relations between the arms and tested professional prowess as well as the needed global exposure, to occupy the position of Deputy Senate President.”

The survey was conducted by a pan-South-South Professional body known as the Global Forum of South-South Professionals (GFSSP) with representatives drawn from Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states respectively.

To arrive at the result, focused group discussions were conducted in Akwa-Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Delta, Edo and Rivers states. Also, random samplings of stakeholders and respondents were carried out in the six states.

The subject matters provided for in the questionnaire include, competence, needed skills, bridge-building, parliamentary capacity, administrative experience, knowledge of the country and expertise in parliamentary matters.

The limitation of the survey to the South-South zone, according to the report, is informed by the fact that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has zoned the position of Deputy Senate President to the geo-political district.

Senator Omo-Agege’s preference was overwhelming as over 80 percent of the respondents listed him as the best material to represent South-South for the position. Most of the respondents particularly said his choice “would help navigate robust and mutually beneficial relationships between the Executive and the Legislature while maintaining Parliamentary independence.”

Described by his admirers as “a very brilliant and strong parliamentarian and a lawyer who is a two-time Senator, they contended that if he sits on the plum seat, Omo-Agege “would bring a lot of experience and brilliance to bear on that role.” He is also described as “well experienced,” as he had served as Commissioner and later Secretary to Government of Delta State before winning a seat at the Senate.