The zoning crisis within the All Progressives Congress (APC) party has taken a new turn as various zones make fresh demands on the party hierarchy. The APC National Working Committee (NWC) announced on Monday that the Senate Presidency of the forthcoming 10th National Assembly would be zoned to the South-South and the Speakership of the House of Representatives to the North-West. However, stakeholders have expressed discordant views, with some supporting the decision and others calling for a review.
The NWC is now divided over the micro-zoning of the positions, as some members are against the micro-zoning of the leadership positions.
They believed anyone from the zones to which a particular office has been allocated should be able to contest, without favoring specific individuals. This has led to concerns that other aggressive candidates could team up to produce a formidable opposition to the adopted candidate, Tajudeen Abbas, particularly in the House of Representatives.
Some stakeholders within the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the North-West zone are unhappy with the party's zoning decisions for the speakership and deputy Senate presidency slots.
They argue that the North-West gave the highest number of votes to APC candidate and President-elect, Bola Tinubu, in the 2023 presidential election. As a result, they insist that the North-West should produce the Senate President.
This is particularly important, they say, because denying the North-West the senate leadership position could be seen as a test of the region's loyalty and may lead to dire political consequences.
Current chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Jibrin, and former governor Abdulaziz Yari, both from the North-West zone, are vying for the Senate presidency position.
Senators-elect from the North-Central geopolitical zone have rejected the zoning arrangements for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.
In a letter of protest to the Senator Abdullahi Adamu-led National Working Committee (NWC), the Senators-elect said that only the North-Central geopolitical zone did not produce any presiding officer.
The letter, which was signed by 18 Senators-elect, called on the party to jettison the unacceptable arrangements and cede the position of the Deputy Senate President to the North-Central zone to ensure fairness, equity, and justice for a smooth 10th Senate.
The Senators-elect also stated that they are fully committed to supporting the incoming administration of President-elect Asiwaju Tinubu for a better Nigeria.
Suleiman Kawu, the Senator-elect from Kano South Senatorial District on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), has advised Asiwaju Bola Tinubu not to fall prey to the sycophants who might deceive him into making wrong decisions regarding the leadership of the National Assembly.
Kawu, in his address to the press in Abuja, urged the incoming lawmakers to follow the Constitution as their guide to face the challenges confronting the country. He added that he was in contact with 109 senators and could assure that they had a significant number to prevent the imposition of leaders in the Senate or the House of Representatives.
Kawu also pointed out that many of the lawmakers-elect were already discussing working against the zoning arrangements announced by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Also, the North-Central zone has demanded the Speakership position for the 10th National Assembly, according to the North Central Democratic Coalition, led by Dr. Ben Amodu, during a rally at the APC National Secretariat.
Amodu stated that the region has been a consistent supporter of the APC and has contributed immensely to the success of the party in every election. He accused the APC of marginalizing the zone and warned that failure to meet their demand would have political consequences.
Amodu also said that the North-Central region is a critical bloc in Nigerian politics.
Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, and elected Senators from Ekiti, including Opeyemi Bamidele, Yemi Adaramodu, and Cyril Fasuyi, have expressed their support for Senator Godswill Akpabio's Senate presidency bid.
Governor Oyebanji made this known during a dinner with Senator Akpabio and the elected Senators in Abuja. He affirmed Ekiti's commitment to a united and formidable 10th National Assembly and to the APC NWC's decision to zone the Senate presidency position to the South-South.
Senator Akpabio, who expressed his readiness and determination to support the incoming President, Tinubu, also promised to bring out good policies that would improve Nigeria's economy and create job opportunities to reduce banditry and insecurity in the country.
The South-East/Igbo APC Progressives Roundtable (SIAPRO) has accepted the APC's decision on the zoning arrangement for presiding officers and portfolios for the 10th National Assembly.
However, in a letter to APC National Chairman Tinubu, Senator Adamu, APC governors, governors-elect, and national officers, the group sought deliberate measures to integrate the South-East in the APC and Nigeria's scheme of things.
The group expressed concern about how South-East/Igbo APC progressive foot soldiers, who have given their all, would be treated going forward. They also noted the need for deliberate and sincere action to ensure that South-East/Igbo APC Progressives are not left behind again.
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