APC governors seek urgent action on zoning of Senate President, Speaker seats

All Progressives Congress (APC) governors have urged the ruling party to expedite action on its proposal for the zoning of the Senate President and House of Representatives Speaker.

According to sources, the governors have proposed a joint meeting of the Progressives Governors’ Forum, the National Working Committee (NWC), and President-elect Bola Tinubu to take a decision on the choice of the presiding officers.

Last week, the governors, who met in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), brainstormed on the implications of the huge number of aspirants for the Chairman and Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly.

The 10th National Assembly is expected to be inaugurated in June, following a proclamation by the president.

Sources close to the governors said the governors wanted the party to be mindful of religion as a crucial factor in the choice of the next presiding officers.

The President-elect is a Muslim from the Southwest while his deputy, Senator Kashim Shettima is a Muslim from the Northeast.

A source said: “Many APC governors are sensitive to the geo-political and religious make-up of the country. It appears that they may favour the zoning of the Senate President and House of Representatives Speaker to the Southsouth, Southeast, and Northcentral. This means that if the Senate President comes from either the Southsouth or Southeast, the Speaker will then come from the Northcentral.

“Other principal positions will be zoned to the appropriate regions as well. But these suggestions, which are still within the Progressives Governors’ Forum, are subjected to debate and ratification by the tripartite meeting.”

There is anxiety in the ruling party over the hardline stance of some National Assembly members-elect jostling for Senate President and House of Representatives Speaker.

The APC NWC is worried by the scramble for the Senate and House positions, which may contradict any proposal for zoning of the offices, it was also learnt.

No fewer than eight senators-elect have unfolded their ambition to serve as Senate President.

They are Senate President Ahmad Lawan (Northeast), Senator Godswill Akpabio (Southsouth), Senator Barau Jibrin (Northwest), and Senator Ali Ndume (Northeast).

Others are Senator Sani Musa (Northcentral), Senator Orji Kalu (Southeast), Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi (Southeast), and Senator Osita Izunaso (Southeast).

Aspirants for House Speaker include Deputy Speaker Idris Wase (Northcentral), Yusuf Gagdi (Northcentral), Abdulraheem Olawuyi (Kwara, Northcentral) and Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Aliyu Mukthar Betara (Borno, Northeast).

Others are Chairman of the House Committee on n Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu (Abia, Southeast), Chairman, House Committee on Land Transport, Tajudeen Abbas (Kaduna, Northwest), Chairman, House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli (Katsina, Northwest), Abubakar Makki Yalleman (Jigawa, Northwest) and Usman Sani Jaji (Zamfara, Northwest).

The lawmakers-elect have stepped up their lobby for the positions by obtaining endorsement from notable party leaders and other influential Nigerians across the country.

Also, sources said some APC lawmakers-elect have opened talks with their opposition counterparts ahead of the contest.

Worried by the intra-party scheming, APC Vice Chairman (Northwest), Salihu Lukman urged the party to regulate aspirants’ conduct to avert an implosion.

There is an uneasy calm, following the intense lobby of the party leadership by the newly elected lawmakers for zoning to the geo-political zones.

The APC National Chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu had told the aspirants to wait for the proposed zoning plan, which will be done by the party leadership in consultation with the President-elect.

However, following the delay in unveiling the zoning plan, the aspirants have been locked in maneuvering that had heated up the party.

While some have continued to lobby the NWC members for endorsement, others are mounting pressure on the NWC to jettison zoning.

Lukman alleged that some contenders were wooing party leaders with gifts to support their aspirations.

Lukman had in a statement titled:  “Cash-and-Carry Contest for Leadership of 10th National Assembly” queried: “How can anyone aspiring for the position of leadership at all levels seeking to bribe his/her way be said to be interested in rendering service?

“Such a person will only be interested in rendering service to himself and himself alone.

“Once aspirants win leadership positions through cash-and-carry methods, their loyalty to the government, led by Asiwaju Tinubu, and the APC will be weak. Such a person could even hold the government hostage in pursuance of their personal ambitions, which is known only to themselves.”

Ndume had urged the party leadership to allow senators to pick their leaders instead of zoning.

He said senators-elect are not “small boys” who cannot choose their presiding officers.

Ndume said: “The APC leadership did not take any position during the presidential primary. Aspirants from all geopolitical zones participated in the exercise.

“Senators should be allowed to choose a competent person among them that has adequate legislative and managerial experience to lead the Senate.

“Zoning may not lead to the emergence of the best person for the job. That is why the decision to choose the Senate presiding officers must be the sole responsibility of the senators.”

A source said other aspirants are eagerly awaiting zoning to decide whether they will vie for the Senate President or consider running for Deputy Senate President.

Senator Sani Musa, said the source, may opt for Deputy Senate President if the Senate President is not zoned to the Northcentral.

A source in Ndume’s camp also said he would consider the post of Senate Leader if the zoning formula does not favour the Northeast to produce the next Senate President.

The source said: “You know he is presently one of the most ranking APC senators-elect. Ordinary, the position of Senate President for him is supposed to be given if you follow parliamentary traditions in an advanced country.

“Don’t also forget that he was once a Senate Leader in the 8th Senate and he contested the position of Senate President against Lawan during the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly.”

Party sources hinted that the geo-political zone most likely to produce the next Senate President is the Southsouth.

This is notwithstanding, the agitation of the Southeast senators-elect for the position, it was learnt.

While Senator Kalu has called on the party to zone the position to his ward in Igbere, Abia North Senatorial District, Umahi and Izunaso are relying on their performance and legislative experience respectively.

Senator Jibrin has called on the APC to reward ranking, experience and the number of votes delivered to the President-elect in the Northwest during the election.

Sources close to Akpabio said he is relying on his legislative experience as Senate Minority Leader in the 8th Senate and his decision to step down for Tinubu during last year’s presidential primary of the APC.

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