After a long period of anxiety, yesterday, the National Working Committee (NWC) of All Progressives Congress (APC), nominated Godswill Akpabio, former governor of Akwa Ibom State, for Senate President, and Hon. Tajudeen Abass from Kaduna State for Speaker of the House of Representatives. The meeting was held on Monday at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.
It was a result of compromises here and there, after weeks of nocturnal meetings. Now, APC has zoned the 10th National Assembly’s senate presidency to South-south and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to North-west.
After the meeting, Felix Morka, National Publicity Secretary of the party, told journalists: “The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) met today, Monday, May 8, 2023, to consider reports of consultations and meetings held with the president-elect, His Excellency, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, other party leaders and stakeholders on zoning arrangement for 10th National Assembly leadership positions.
“The NWC noted with respect the outcome of the meetings held between the president-elect and the leadership of the NWC. The NWC called for further and better consultation with necessary stakeholders to assure the support of the aspirants to the National Assembly leadership positions and members of the party nationwide.
“The zoning arrangement reported to the NWC is as follows: Senate President: South-south, Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom); Deputy Senate President: North-west, Senator Barau Jubrin (Kano); Speaker, House of Representatives, 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 country during and beyond the current period of leadership transition.”
However, the new arrangement did not go down well with certain elements of the party. Saliu Ibrahim lamented that the party “has not considered the North-central and it is outrageous. We, the North-central, have contributed largely to the development of APC and up to date we are still on it.
“Why is it that the National Assembly Speaker is something that elected president Asiwaju, under the watch of Abdullahi Adamu, who is even from the North-central will not wholeheartedly say the North-central should take? The party should zone it to us.”
He added: “We are asking that the speaker of the 10th Assembly should be zoned to North0central. That is what we want for now. The 10th Assembly speakership should be zoned to North-central if they can’t give us the Senate President.”