10th Assembly: APC North-Central Stakeholders threaten to withdraw support

A Forum of Stakeholders in the All Progressives Congress, APC from the North-Central region of Nigeria say they may not support the APC in 2027 if the party does not zone one of the positions of the principal offices of the National Assembly to the zone.

The National Coordinator of the Concerned Northcentral APC Stakeholders Forum, REV. Dominic Alancha stated this during a press briefing at the APC National Secretariat in Abuja.

Rev. Alancha explained that it was the custom for position of the Senate President, the Deputy Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and Deputy Speaker of House to be zoned to the four other regions that did not get president and vice president.

While addressing the argument that the North-central zone already has the position of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation, Rev Alancha said it was not an elective position but an appointive one which could be withdrawn easily adding that it also does not uphold the principle of separation of power in a democracy.

“Zoning the position of Senate President in the 10th Assembly to the South-south geopolitical zone, and the position of Deputy Senate President to the North-west zone; while the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives is also zoned to the North-west and the position of Deputy Speaker to the Southeast is unacceptable because it excludes the North Central from parliamentary leadership.

“We note the observation that the national chairman of our great party is from the North Central zone and with the appointment of Senator George Akume as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, that the North Central has been compensated.

“But we say no to these assertions as they do not respect the principle of separation of power in a democracy.

“While the executive arm can decide what is best suited for it in allocating offices within it, the parliament in Nigeria operates on a principle that complements the two topmost positions in the executive arm such that the four principal offices of Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Deputy Speaker are shared among the four other zones outside where the president and vice president come from.

“Rather than weaken the chances of the North Central zone therefore, the occupation of the offices of APC national chairman and SGF by persons from the North Central zone emphasize the need for it to have a corresponding structure at the National Assembly to harness the gains of the two offices in the executive arm of government” Alancha said.

He noted that considering the large number of votes that the North-central region gave that led to the party’s victory in the presidential elections, the region is not being treated fairly.

“It was due to the zoning of the position of national chairman to the North Central that galvanized the zone for the APC during the presidential elections and it was because the zone delivered tremendously for the APC especially in Benue that Senator Akume, who acted as a catalyst for the party’s growth, was rewarded with the SGF position.

“Similarly, the zone can boast of returning a higher percentage of legislators to the APC more than any zone apart from the South West.

“Those who made this possible leading to the current position where the APC is leading in terms of a higher of legislators than any single party in both the Senate and House of Representatives have successfully been elected to the National Assembly and are willing to offer their acumen to stabilize the legislature for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to succeed.

“We demand that the four principal positions in the National Assembly are shared among the zones other than the zones the president and vice president hail from” Alancha said.

Recall that Nigeria’s ruling party, the APC earlier nominated four law makers from three geopolitical zones to be supported by the larger body of APC legislators to emerge as the principal officers of both Chambers of the National Assembly.

The election of the principal officers is expected to happen on June 13 after the 10th National Assembly is inaugurated.

N.O