Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Rotimi Akeredolu, has strongly criticised the zoning of National Assembly offices by his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), describing it as “a skewed arrangement that reinforces injustice and enhances inequity.
In a statement he personally signed on Wednesday, he laments: “It is with great concern, and indeed, with a huge burden that I read in the news of the purported zoning arrangement released by the National Working Committee of our Party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) as regards the leadership positions in the yet-to-be inuagurated National Assembly. ”
Akeredolu spoke nearly three days after the National Working Committee (NWC) of APC appeared to have reluctantly issued a statement towing the line of President-elect Bola Tinubu, and tipping Senator Godswill Akpabio from Akwa Ibom State in the South-South geopolitical zone as Senate President; and Tajudeen Abbas from Kaduna State in the North-West as Speaker of the House of Representatives.
There have been loud grumbles from the rank of newly elected federal lawmakers against the party’s position.
However, Akeredolu says in his own statement: “Aside the unpretentious ambiguity in the purported Press Statement issued by the leadership of the APC, the contents, intentions and motives of the zoning formula represent early signs of steps aimed at attempts to cabin the hard-earned Presidency for our Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu by a few individuals with eyes on ASO ROCK POWER BUTTONS.
“It is trite to aver, that, it stands logic on the head that one geo-political zone, Northwest in this regard, will be favoured with two presiding officers positions out of four while North Central suffers the consequences for its innocence and shrewd loyalty by having none.
“It is an insidious permutation that North East will be deprived in the face of the unsavoury generosity dispensed through two slots to a particular geo-political zone. It is self-repudiating for one to argue, therefore, that the Speaker of the House of Representatives cannot also emerge from the North East.
“Therefore, the move to zone the National Assembly leadership positions on the behest of interested personalities with perceived closeness to the President-elect manifestingly, lays the dangerous foundation of distrust, needless suspicion even as it structures nothing but a combination of booby traps. We must avoid all these.
“Let the North play a stronger, more robust and all-inclusive roles in the emergence of the positions zoned to the region, especially the Speakership.
“Furthermore, it strikes a huge ingratitude that the role of the Progressive Governors Forum appears unimportant. As leaders of the Party in their respective States, there cannot be a greater disservice to them that a consensus was yet to be reached when the NWC hurriedly released a dangerous tool for the opposition in the guise of a zoning formula. To me, even on this note, it’s unacceptable.
“Does it not also exude a serious discomfort that the aspirants to the Speakership were not consulted, approached and effectively engaged before the purported zoning formula? It does, and clearly so.
“It is in this regard that I salute the courage of the Speakership aspirants for their show of solidarity, companionship and applaudable love for the Party in their rejection, resentment and objection to the brazenly teleguided zoning arrangement that is skewed and targeted against some zones and identified individuals.
“Their action is commendable just as they are urged to ensure they pursue this to a logical conclusion. This is an unworkable arrangement that reinforces injustice and enhances inequity; and I join them in rejecting this zoning formula.
“I call on the NWC of our great Party to follow the path of purity and Justice. It is perhaps expedient that Mr. President-elect interrogates this skewed arrangement and give direction that reflects our collective commitment to equality and fairness.
“In this particular case, and for the purpose of avoiding a repeat of untoward situations, it is advised that the APC NWC immediately summons the National Executive Committee (NEC) after robust National Caucus/Stakeholders parley to agree on terms that would strengthen our great Party.”
Meanwhile, across the board, senators-elect appear to be resisting the plan by the ruling party and the President-elect, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to foist a fait-accompli on them by tipping Senator Godswill Akpabio on them as Senate President.
They appear to be insisting on picking a helmsman of their choice rather than an imposed one.
Speaking separately to journalists during the 10th National Assembly Induction programme held in Abuja on Monday, before the APC position was made public, many were vehemently opposed to an imposition, even as a senator-elect and Governor, David Umahi, spoke of how Tinubu prevailed on him to drop his ambition to head the Senate in favour of Akpabio.
Umahi has been a strong advocate for the South-East geopolitical zone producing the Senate President. He actually said he left the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) because it short-changed the zone despite the zone’s years of loyalty to it.
Senator Osita Izunaso, an APC Senator-Elect from Imo State and one of the contenders for the Senate top seat, thinks the coveted seat should go to the South-East geopolitical zone.
“If you are ever contemplating zoning to the South, it is a natural thing that it should go to the South-East. The zone has been part of the process. South East voted for the APC. If you tell me that the South East did not vote for the APC, I will tell you that you are not saying the truth.
“Despite the pressure on the South East regarding the Peter Obi’s candidature, we were able to deliver six Senate seats and two governors.
“Labour Party has six senators while the Peoples Democratic Party has two. APC Members In the South East has done exceedingly well. South East Senators-Elect met yesterday and we are categorical that the office of the Senate President should be zoned to the South East in the spirit of justice, equity and balance.
“If we must achieve oneness and unity of Nigeria, the Senate President must be zoned to the South East. That is our stand point and personally,ni am not ready to step down for anybody. I’m running for the position of the Senate President.
Senator-Elect Ned Nwoko of the PDP from Delta North district agrees that the zoning should favour the South-East zone.
His words, “The defining issue for us is to have an independent National Assembly. We must be independent of the Executive. As a third arm of government, we must hit the ground running.
“We should not have leaders that are imposed on us by the executive. In this case, the issue of South East must be taken to account.
“The overwhelming majority of the senators-elect are of the opinion that we must be independent. That is the only way we can take the executive to account.
“The parliament is not meant to be pocketed by the executive. There are some of us that are already well established before we came here, so are not push overs. We are very independent minded.
Abdulraham Kawu Samaila, a Senator-elect on the platform of the New Nigeria Peoples Party in Kano South Senatorial District said: “There is a clear and express provision in the constitution which allows members of the National Assembly to choose their presiding officers amongst themselves irrespective of party affiliation, religious or ethnic considerations.
“Each of us has the qualification to lead the chambers as presiding officers in the National Assembly.
“It is not a just cause that the Senate Presidency should go to the South because of religion. It is against the constitution and morally it is wrong. It is against the character of democracy.
“We are practicing constitutional democracy and presidential system of government which provides for the National Assembly, Executive and Judiciary.
“The parliament is an independent arm of government. The executive is detached from the parliament and judiciary. Therefore, we are canvassing a situation where we will have true separation of power. Let the executive led by Mr President, exercise its power to balance its positions.
“Let us as the legislature, also exercise our powers. The executive can suggest but it is ours to do what the constitution provides.”
Senator Godswill Akpabio, who was later tipped by the APC, with the backing of Tinubu, had said:
“When the zoning arrangements come out, we would know the position that would be zoned to different geopolitical zone. It is not something that we should speculate about but I believe that justice would be done at the end of the day in terms of balancing the political equation of the country to ensure peaceful tenure for the incoming president.
He said he was not worried about alliances between some aggrieved APC aspirants opposition party Senators-Elect.
“I am not worried at all. It is a normal thing. I always describe politics as a game of concentric circle of conspiracy. I am not worried about anything. I believe strongly that the will of God will be done.
“My colleagues would decide my fate on the floor during the inauguration. The senators-elect would take a decision.
“The lawmakers would elect the next Senate President. I believe that there should be cooperation between the parties and the lawmakers.
“Once the leadership is put in place, there should be collaboration between the leadership and the Parliament to ensure a smooth administration and we are all mutually dependent on one another while at the same time, exercising our legislative duties and independence. On the whole I believe that we can only get better as our democracy matures.”
