10th National Assembly: Group seeks review of APC’s zoning formula
The All Progressives Congress (APC) Integrity Group has called on the APC leadership to review the zoning formula for presiding offices of the 10th National Assembly to end controversy among lawmakers.
The National Coordinator of the group, Malam Dawu Mohammed, gave the advice on Friday at a news conference in Abuja.
Mohammed said that the arrangement had generated intense controversy among lawmakers-elect from both Red and Green Chambers as they insisted on picking leaders of their choice.
The APC leadership had on May 8, reached a resolution on the two key offices in the National Assembly following a meeting of the National Working Committee (NWC), at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
After the meeting, Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the party, said the NWC reached a compromise on the zoning arrangement for the 10th National Assembly.
“The zoning arrangement reported to the NWC is as follows: Senate President: South-south, Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Deputy Senate President: North-west, Senator Barau Jubrin (Kano); Speaker, House of Representatives, North-west, Hon. Abass Tajudeen (Kaduna); Deputy Speaker, South-east, Hon. Ben Kalu (Abia).
“We urge our party leaders, members, and all Nigerians to continue to work for peace and progress of our country during and beyond the current period of leadership transition.”
However, group’s coordinator urged party’s NWC “to have a rethink and save the APC from a possible implosion.
“We can have the offices zoned to give the various parts of the country a better sense of belonging to the country, other than what we have now”.
Mohammed urged the NWC to consider the positive contributions of the North Central region to the growth, stability and consolidation of the APC across the country, especially at the executive and National Assembly levels.
According to him, such contributions cannot be written without recalling the role of many as competent and loyal party men across north central zone that was omitted in the zoning agreement.
“The north central has performed so well in retaining the governing party, and versatility lawmakers the zone can boast of should earn them the position of Deputy Senate President,” he said.
NAN/N.O
