Victor EzejaOndo State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has warned that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is reinforcing injustice and inequity with its zoning arrangement for leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly.
The APC National Working Committee (NWC), recently released a list of proposed zoning of principal officers positions in both Senate and House of Representatives, with Senator Godswill Akpabio from South-South (Akwa Ibom) being chosen for Senate President, Jubrin Barau from Northwest as Deputy President, Tajudeen Abass (Northwest) and Hon. Ben Kalu (Southeast) as Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.
Governor Akeredolu, who is the Chairman Southwest Governors’ Forum, faulted the APC’s decision to zone two National Assembly principal offices to only North West while North East and North West were left with none.
He said such arrangement will lay dangerous foundation of distrust, and needless suspicion, adding that the leadership structure that will emerge from such arrangement may turn out to be a booby trap that the opposition might latch on.
The statement read: “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.
“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. 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.”
The Ondo governor is who also of the APC fold, said the north should play an all-inclusive roles in the emergence of the positions zoned to the region.
He said lamented that the Progressive Governor Forum was sidelined by the APC NWC in the zoning decision, saying it is a great disservice to them and is unacceptable.
He commended the lawmakers aspiring to contest the positions who have rejected the proposed zoning, saying they were unfairly treated by not being consulted when the choices were being made.
“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.”
Akeredolu called on the APC NWC and the president-elect to review the zoning arrangement which according to him was “skewed” and adopt a formula 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,” Akeredolu stated.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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