Why NASS leadership zoning dey cause wahala for APC

As days dey near for Nigeria to usher in new administration,tension don begin rise within di rulling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Di matter bin dey between di party, dia federal lawmakers and some oda stakeholders.

Dem dey try show strength for who go hold principal offices for di incoming 10th National Assembly.

Di National Working Committee of di All Progressives Congress (APC) bin meet days ago and agree to zone di leadership of di 10th National Assembly.

Di meeting wey bin last for many hours meet big criticism as plenti of di party members no like di arrangement.

Afta di meeting, di National Publicity Secretary of di party, Felix Morka, bin tell tori pipo say di ruling party don zone di Senate president to South South and say na Godswill Akpabio be dia choice.

Morka also tok say di party favour Senator Barau Jibrin from di North West as deputy senate president.

While dem anoint Abass Tajudeen of Kaduna state and Benjamin Kalu of Abia for House of Representatives as Speaker and deputy, respectively.

Dis arrangement no go down well wit plenti APC members, as some of dem don show say dem no go follow di party zoning arrangement.

Di zoning

Apc bin issue one statement through di national publicity secretary of di party, Barr Felix Morka, afta di NWC meeting say say dem agree to zone.

“Di National Working Committee of di All Progressives Congress (APC) meet today, Monday, May 8, 2023 to consider reports of consultations and meetings wey hold wit di President- Elect, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, oda Party leaders and stakeholders on zoning arrangement for 10th National Assembly leadership positions.

“Di zoning arrangement wey dey reported to di NWC dey as follows:

Senate President – South South Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom).

Deputy Senate President – North West- Senator Barau Jubrin (Kano).

House of representative, Speaker - 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 kontri during and beyond di current period of leadership transition,” dem tok.

To prove dia point, oda member-elect of di national assembly don begin show interest say dem sef wan hold power.

Tori be say six of dem also gather to do meeting wia Muktar Betara wey be di 9th assembly chairman house committiee on appropriation declear im intention for speaker position.

Di zoning arrangement don cause gbege for di party, and lawmakers plus oda stakeholders don begin dey para.

Stakeholders no gree

Senators, wey follow leadership of di party and members of di National Working Committee yarn say no asiprant sabi anytin about di decision bifor e happun.

Dem also warn say Apc leadership no restrict di zoning arrangement to geopolitical regions, e fit lead to open disobedience sake of di aggrieved aspirants go seriously disobey di party.

Lawmakers wey show for di meeting be former Zamfara Governor, Abdulaziz Yari; senator-elect representing Imo West, Osita Izunaso; Sani Musa of Niger East, Umar Sadiq of Kwara North and Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu.

Di only woman wey dey among di lawmakers wey dey eye di highest position for di House of Representatives, Mariam Odinaka Onuaha say di contest for di leadership tie into di SDG measurement index for Nigeria, sake of say e reflect di nation’s stance on equality and di role of women for di society.

Also, di govnor of Ondo State and Chairman South-West Governors’ Forum condemne di zoning formula.

Akeredolu say di formaula dey “insidious permutation, disservice” wey wan take witch-hunt di hard earned Presidency of Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

''Therefore, di move to zone di National Assembly leadership positions on di behest of interested personalities wit perceived closeness to di President-elect manifestingly, lay di dangerous foundation of distrust, needless suspicion even as e structures nothing but a combination of booby traps. We gatz avoid all these''. Akeredolu tok inside one statement.

Why di 'crisis'

Political analysts say Apc no suppose announce zoning and choice of candidate for di same time.

Yusuf Umar Garkuwa advise di All Progressives Congress to adopt a new zoning formula to form how dem wan pick leaders for di national assembly.

E say although to give name of one prefered candidate dey undemocratic.

E say some of di tins wey dey cause issue be lack of internal democracy, indiscipline and selfishness.

E say di party don suppose zone all dia political office bifo di primary elections including presidential, but e no happun like dat.

Garkuwa explain say zoning dey important, “make di oda aspirants too see di zoning as sometin wey go bring everibodi togeda”.

“I no say make dem agree to di choice of di prefered candidate sake of dat one dey undemocratic”, e explain.

Di tin be say, “Once you dey elected as member of di national assembly constitutionally you get everi right to contest to be part of di principal officer for both chambers,” e further tok.

“ For example wetin dem suppose do be say make dem zone di speakership to di north-west, e now dey wit di caucaus dia to

E say di party idea of zoning dey gud for democracy and inclusion.

Garkuwa say e better make every member of di party wey dey affected see di zoning as sometin wey go bring dem togeda.

E further explain say once di party don zone, di rest na for di caucaus of di zone to decide.

Dis include Nass members, NWC, BOT members and odas of di party to decide di candidate dey want to be wia.

Di political analyst say Apc fit even zone leadership to any zone wey never dey represented before.

E say Jigawa, Kebbi, and Zamfara states never produce speaker for di national assembly. “ Make somebodi dey nominated from those states wey never produce speaker from dat zone”

“For my opinion I go say make dem zone am to Zamfara state sake of say di state be one of di most backward state for north-west.

If dem get opportunity to have di fourth citizen from dia state, dat go be a lot of achievement and infrastructural development for dia, Garkuwa tok.

Apc don also dey loose power for Zamfara and dey need do sometin for dia to avoid decamping of members to opposition party as many residents bin try agaisnt all odds to vote Apc during di presidential elections despite di insecurity situation wey dem dey.

“So dey need to dey rewarded wit sometin good like di speaker”.

“And if you look di lawmaker-elect from Zamfara I, Aminu Jaji, if dem fit give dat Aminu Jaji e go dey better for dem.

“Most of those wey dey contest for di national assembly from di Tajudeen, Betara, Wase, Doguwa all of dem be present members for di national assembly, while Jaji once be member for di 8th assembly, but just dey return now, so e dey neutral.

E say di issue be say Tajudeen Abass supporters no wan support Betara and same way round.

E say na dis kind controversy make Apc choose neutral candidate wey go fit unite all di lawmakers and go represent wella.

‘E dey important for party to zone leadership position’

Anoda political analyst Professor Tajudeen YagboYaju tok say if to zone dey important for any political party, if e dey dia policy, make e be so.

E say wetin e mean be say e dey part of dia convention, practices and understanding.

“Political party dey all about Democracy, consensus building zoning dey important for political parties.

Di professor also tok say e dey ok make di executive and legislative arm of gomment get understanding for ogbonge development.

E say dat one no mean say dem no go serve as checks and balances on each oda but dem suppose get some kind understanding so development go dey.

Professor YajuYagbo add say e no matter say di Apc dey get conflict now sake of Nass leadership, “we diagree to agree, if dem dey disagree dis point in time, dem go always reach agreement somewia along di line”.

'we no go gree'