- South-South Gets Senate President
- Speaker Zoned To North West
By Charles Adingupu
After weeks of intensive horse trading, brickbat, unbridled lobbying and even mudslinging among the rank and file of political gladiators battling for the exulted seat of the Senate President in the emerging 10th National Assembly, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congres, APC put paid to series speculations that seem to mystify the number three position of Nigeria.
The party, sensing the danger ahead arising from the squabbles emanating from the battle for the Senate President, unilaterally zoned the seat to the South South region as against earlier permutations upheld by political pundits who maintained that for equitable distribution of power, it should be zoned to the South East.
In the same breath, the party’s NWC equally zoned the Speakership of the House of Representatives to the North West contrary to earlier speculations that the seat be occupied by a lawmaker from the North Central.
The party also zoned the Deputy Senate President to the North West, and Deputy Speaker to the South East.
This zoning arrangements by the party has since triggered reactions within and outside the party’s fold. It has also quashed the ambition of potential Aspirants from the South East like current Senate Chief Whip, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Isi Izunaso who were battling to grab the exulted seat.
Political pundits had earlier zoned the seat of the Senate President to the South East for what they regarded as fairness, equity and justice, and above all, for inclusiveness in governance. For them, under the party’s current arrangement, the South East appears neglected to the background.
Specifically, the party was reported to have adopted the zoning template and candidate of its President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and settled for Senators Godswill Akpabio and Barau Jubrin for Senate leadership and Messrs Abass Tajudeen and Ben Kalu for House of Representatives leadership.
This move also kept tongue wagging as stakeholders and some senators elected in the party from the North Central, outrightly reject the zoning formula, describing it as “imposition of candidates.”
Also the party’s current zoning stance has left political stakeholders to express fear that the 2015 scenario may play out again in the National Assembly.
It would be recalled that in 2015, the party’s anointed candidates for the Senate Presidency, Senator Ahmed Lawan and Speaker, Femi Gbjabiamila failed to pull through as they lost their bids to Senator Bukola Saraki and Honourable Yakubu Dogara respectively.
The same event was recorded in 2011 when the then ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s choice for the Speakership, Mulikar Akande lost out to Mr. Aminu Tambuwal.
Already, there are fears that the opposition parties may lay hold of the leadership of the House of Representatives. Indication to this effect however emerged as the opposition parties which regard themselves as “Greater Major” had vowed to produce the leaders of the 10th Assembly.
Amid the on political mist, it was reported that the President-elect who currently doubles as the leader of the APC is building a “rubber stamp” Assembly that would not pose as obstacle to his government.
In the same vein, some loyalists have urged the President-elect to jettison the current zoning arrangement of the leadership of the National Assembly.
“This is not Lagos State but Nigeria. So, Tinubu must wake up to the reality that he cannot manipulate Nigerians as he did while overseeing the affairs of Lagos State.
“He should be President to all by creating a government of inclusiveness. All the regions must have a stake in his administration if he (Tinubu) claimed to be a true Democrat.
However it goes, the APC is already divided by the current zoning arrangement. The opposition parties are equally kicking and Nigerians are watching with a deep touch of concern.
