The All Progressives Congress (APC) is likely to revisit the controversial zoning arrangements for the 10th National Assemby leadership.
National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, dropped the hint when he addressed seven speakership aspirants codenamed G7, comprising Yusuf Gagdi, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, Ahmed Idris Wase, Al Hassan Doguwa, Sada Soli, Mariam Onuoha and Aminu Sani Jaji, who met with the APC NWC members at the National Secretariat in Abuja, yesterday.
Addressing the APC chairman, Gagdi emphasised that the arrangement was wrong because the National Assembly is an independent body that cannot be turned to the Presidency’s Federal Executive Council (FEC) where people are picked at will.
He said: ‘’When we elect our leaders, all of you will not be there, it is we and our conscience and the covenant of the people of Nigeria that will be in the hallowed chamber. So it is better, it is not late, let the wrongs be righted. Unless this is done, Sir, our party should not hope that our loyalty will be guaranteed at the detriment of justice, peace and fairness. We will respect justice, unity and equity in the chamber, but only if your instruction is in line with the principle of this party. Sir, do not hope that we have come here to succumb to any instruction and directive given to us.’
‘’Our party’s motto is Justice, Peace and Unity. Under your able leadership, you folded your arms and sat to allow aspirants contest elections under the supremacy of Nigerians through the delegates to choose whosoever they wanted to be the flagbearer of the party. The Vice President contested, he is the closest person to Mr. President and yet, because of democracy and because of justice in APC, delegates were allowed to choose whosoever they wanted to be the flagbearer of the party. Where is that principle now sir, where has it been thrown to? Have we forgotten about the motto of our party? Have we recently forgotten about the leadership that the National Chairman and Mr. President plus all of you provided during the primaries of the APC? “
He continued ‘’Do we want unity, to say that the Deputy Senate President should go to North-West and the Speaker should go to North-West when in the true sense of the word, sir, in the presidential election, North-Central known to have majority number of Christians, with utmost apologies let me say this, and the religious and tribal affiliations attributed to 2023 elections, yet North Central resisted the temptation, delivered 4 states to the President-elect, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu; delivered 11 senators. The North-west delivered 10 with 2 states and North-east 1 State with 10 senators and the zone that has performed like this for Mr. President will be relegated to have party chairman and perhaps, as they insinuate, Secretary to the Government of the Federation; positions that the president or whosoever can scream at them and they have no locus to speak for the people of North-central.
‘’Sir, we need fairness, we need justice, that is why we are here. We need peace and we need unity.
Explaining efforts they had made to broker truce, Wase said: “I want to tell this congregation about what I asked the Speaker in one of our meetings with him. I asked him, what is making him think that what you have done will stand the test of time?
“It’s never done anywhere. I say to him, you are misleading our leader, because the leader we know is not what you are trying to show and I am referring to the President-elect. I don’t want to believe this moment that the President-elect is the one behind this. I don’t want to believe it.
“Why then are we having lopsided distribution? Is it because those of us from North Central are taken as slaves? Four years is not too much; let’s not destroy this party before we go into the next next election. We should build this party on the spirit and trust of equity distribution of resources. It is guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria.”
Responding, Adamu pleaded with the aggrieved aspirants to give the party leadership more time to review their grievances and consult more with relevant stakeholders and take final decision on its zoning arrangements.
“If I know something, I know it better from your various presentations. As leaders of the party, you are part of people that elected us; we cannot but listen to you, we cannot but try to understand you, we cannot but try to live to the article of faith to our great party. We have listened to you, we don’t intend to open discussions right now with you as in respect of your submissions…
“So, I want to thank you for coming. And you didn’t come with this kind “wuruwuru underground” but you chose to come very openly, very straight broad daylight and I do hope this is a party and the stakeholding is more than the NWC here.
“Nigerians will hear better what we have just said. I plead with you in good conscience to give us a little time to take a good and better look at your presentation and open our ears and our eyes the more to hear more and see more before we can come with finality of your submission and the outcome of it. I thank you for your approach,” he said.
•Zoning template rape of democracy –CSOs
A coalition of Pro-Democracy Civil Society Groups (CSOs)in Nigeria, also described the zoning and allocation of principal offices as a rape of democracy.
In a statement, yesterday, its National President, Dauda Yakubu, said the zoning template and the consequent naming of principal officers for the National Assembly before the parliament was proclaimed could best be described as a coronation ceremony before the birth of the king, which is not allowed in democracy.
“A rubber-stamp National Assembly is precisely what the country does not need currently bearing in mind the extent of reform-oriented legislation and oversight that is needed in the months and years ahead. Nigerians need a parliament that they can hold accountable and not one that answers to a kingmaker.”
•We’re wooing aggrieved lawmakers –Abass
Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Land, Tajudeen Abass, has appealed to members opposed to the zoning arrangement to sheath their sword.
He said he has already started reaching out to other candidates opposed to his endorsement as consensus candidate for the Speakership of the House.
Abass, who described his endorsement as well deserved, expressed optimism that by the end of next week,he would have been able to reach out to all the contenders to back his selection.
Similarly, Kalu, who also spoke with journalists after the meeting, expressed delight that the APC settled for him as deputy speaker, saying the party’s decision would help give a sense of belonging to people of South East.
•I’m in race to win – Izunaso
Senator Osita Izunaso has said his aspiration to lead the senate is in the best interest of the nation and that he was in the race to win and give the National Assembly a “clean and fresh breadth.”
He urged leaders of the APC to douse the tension generated by the controversial zoning formula already fouling the political atmosphere of the country by coming up with a zoning arrangement that would guarantee unity and national cohesion.
He said the outcry, protests, gang-ups that erupted following the informal and formal announcement of the provocative formula showed that the arrangements were not satisfactory to the overwhelming majority of the newly elected legislators and Nigerians generally adding that it should therefore be discarded without any further delay.
Izunaso said the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, President Muhammadu Buhari and APC under the leadership of Senator Adamu Abdulahi, should as a matter of importance come up with a new zoning arrangement that would not only produce the best among the senators and House of Representatives members-elect as their presiding officers, but be seen by Nigerians and the world at large as meeting the best practices in legislative norms and satisfying the political exigencies of Nigeria.
•I’ll not step down, Onuoha vows
Only female aspirant in the race for Speaker, Princess Miriam Onuoha, has said she would not back down in the tussle for the seat.
Onuoha who spoke in an interview with Arise TV, yesterday, vowed to stand her ground in order to protect women’s right in Nigerian politics.
“Backing out from the speakership election will be detrimental and demoralising to women’s aspirations in politics. if you promised 35 per cent affirmative action, the time to prove it to Nigeria is now. Anything less will rub off on the integrity of the party and the person we all respect. The President -elect is under pressure at the moment. I know with time he would do the right thing…However the zoning formula comes, it is either the speaker or the deputy speaker, it will definitely come our way. That is why I have opened my tentacles to lobbying. I have strengthened my lobbying. It is a presiding office or nothing.”
•Group drums support for South East
The Niger Delta Rights Advocates (NDRA) has urged members of the House of Representatives to support the South East for the position of a deputy speaker.
The call followed the choice of Benjamin Okezie Kalu, representing Bende Federal constituency by the NWC of the APC for the position.
National Coordinator, NDRA, Bright Ngolo, who spoke in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, yesterday, said though the group had earlier advocated the speakership for South East, the latest development was commendable because it meant that zone was not marginalised.
“Today, our lobby and advocacy has led to the zoning of the Deputy Speakership of the 10th National Assembly to the South East region and a further microzoning to Benjamin Kanu, member representing Bende Federal constituency.
“Even though it fell below our projection, we want to thank the National Working Committee of the APC for taking the wise decision of not completely neglecting the agitations and calls by Nigerians across party, ethnic and religious lines, that the South East geopolitical zone should not and must not be excluded from the political leadership of the country at this auspicious moment of our national history.”