Northern aspirants kick against zoning National Assembly offices
Some northern aspirants for the leadership positions in the National Assembly are reported to kicked against the planned zoning arrangement of the All Progressives Congress to elect the presiding officers of the two chambers.
Some aspirants from the North-west, North-central, and North-east are opposed to the zoning of the leadership positions in the National Assembly because the party did not zone its presidential ticket to any geopolitical zone.
Investigation however revealed that despite the opposition by the northern aspirants, the North-central may retain the position of the National Chairman of the party, just as the party may settle for the South-east or the South-south for the position of the Senate President.
Aspirants for the position of the 10th Senate presidency include the current Senate President, Dr. Ahmad Lawan (North-east); Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger North East); Orji Uzor Kalu (South-east); Jibrin Barau (North-west); Godswill Akpabio (South-south); Ali Ndume (North-east); Abdul- Aziz Yari (North-west); Adams Oshiomhole (South-south); David Umahi (South-east) and Osita Izunaso (South-east).
At least, nine federal lawmakers had joined the race for the position of the Speaker, House of Representatives. They are Aliyu Betara (North-east); Aminu Sani Jaji (North-west); Idris Wase (North-central); Benjamin Kalu (South-east); Ado Doguwa (North-west); Yusuf Gagdi (North-central); Princess Mariam Onuoha (South-east); Makki Abubakar Yalleman (North-west); and Abdulraheem Olawuyi (North-central).
Indications that the aspirants from the north might not honour the zoning arrangements being planned by the APC leadership emerged during the week with new entrants into the race.
For instance, Senator Ndume and Barau, who are eyeing the Senate presidency, as well as Betara and Wase, who want to become the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, have said they would contest with or without the zoning arrangement.
Ndume, Jibrin, Wase, and Betara have argued that the best way to ensure competence, character, and experience in the choice of National Assembly leadership is to allow the ranking lawmakers to demonstrate their capacity by seeking votes directly from their colleagues instead of zoning the offices.
Jibrin said: “Legislature is a distinct arm of government that doesn’t work based on sentiments, it works on your ability to get the job done. It is the tradition all over the world and it is also stated there in our rule book and the rules are drafted from our constitutions.”
“It is stated there in our standing rules that aspirations of elections for the seat of the Senate Presidency shall be in accordance with ranking.
“Among those who are running for the seat of the Senate Presidency, I am the most ranked senator.
“So, it’s constitutional and among those who are showing their intentions to run for the Senate Presidency, I am the most experienced,” he explained.
An aspirant for the position of the Speaker, House of Representatives, Muktar Betara vowed to fight on even if the position is not zoned to his North-east geopolitical region.
On his part, Betara in a statement by his campaign group, the Betara National Patriotic Mandate, said he was aware of “deft moves” by some influential leaders to zone the North-east out of the speakership race.
The statement was signed by the National Coordinator of the group, Mallam Maigari Al- Amin.
He said: “We are watching the events that are going on and we can see that some influential leaders are making deft moves to zone the North-east out of the speakership race.
“We hereby say that our principal, Betara, Insha Allah shall become the Speaker because nobody can cow us and even convince us to stop this project. We shall fight on and win whether the party zones to the North-east or not.”
Chief Whip of the Senate, Kalu, who had declared that it was his turn to become the Senate President, being a ranking lawmaker from the South-east geopolitical zone, had also rejected the idea of having a Muslim as a Senate President, saying he would not be comfortable with such arrangement.
“I will not be comfortable with a Muslim Senate President because this is a secular state.
“In a secular state, we need to accommodate interests, nations, and spread to be able to maintain the secularity of our country.
“To me, as I told you, people, the truth here before, that I believe in a Muslim-Muslim ticket, I would not believe in another Senate President being a Muslim. It will not augur well for the country,” Kalu added.
But on their part
“The incumbent national chairman could be given an ambassadorial position if he accepts, but certainly, he is just marking his time because he knows that there is no way he can retain his position since the President-elect and the vice president-elect are Muslims.
“It is a matter of time for the zoning to be officially brought to the notice of all”, the source explained, stating that the new zoning arrangement will also affect the office of the national secretary.
“As you know, the incumbent national secretary is from Osun State and in the South- west zone, where the President-elect is from. Therefore, the office has to be moved to either the South-east or South-south, depending on the political calculations of pundits seeking the office of the Senate President.”
The source said that if the office of the Senate president is zoned to the South-east, then the South- south will produce the secretary, and vice versa.
He ruled out the possibility of the North-west producing the Senate President due to the need for religious balancing.
“The person who has indicated interest to become the Senate president is well qualified, but on the account of religious balancing, he is out.
He argued that aspirants from the North-central region face the same challenge.
