Rotimi Akeredolu, governor of Ondo state, has faulted the
zoning arrangements by the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the leadership of
the 10th national assembly.
In a statement on Wednesday, Akeredolu expressed concern
about the decision of the party on the leadership of the incoming national
assembly.
APC had nominated Godswill Akpabio, a former minister of
Niger Delta affairs, and Abbas Tajudeen, a House of Representatives member from
Kaduna, as leaders of the 10th national assembly.
Akpabio was nominated for president of the senate while
Tajudeen was endorsed for the speaker of the House of Representatives.
The party also nominated Barau Jibrin, senator representing
Kano north, as deputy senate president, and Benjamin Kalu, a lawmaker from Abia
and current house spokesperson, as deputy speaker.
The announcement was met with protests from some legislators
within the party.
On Monday, Ali Ndume, senator representing Borno south,
dismissed Akpabio as the anointed candidate of the party for senate presidency,
adding that lawmakers would still have to vote to determine the leader of the
red chamber.
Similarly, Idris Wase, a legislator from Plateau who is in
the race for speakership, said any attempt to “hijack” the parliament would be
rejected, noting that the 10th assembly would not be made a lame duck.
Reacting to the development, Akeredolu described APC’s
zoning arrangement as “unworkable” adding that it “reinforces injustice and
enhances inequity”.
The governor said “it stands logic on the head” that the
north-west would be getting two positions in the parliament leadership while
the north-central is rewarded with none.
He accused “a few individuals with eyes on Aso Rock Power
Buttons” of attempting to “cabin” the presidency of Bola Tinubu.
“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 inaugurated national
assembly,” Akeredolu wrote.
“Aside from 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 Northcentral suffers the
consequences for its innocence and shrewd loyalty by having none.
“It is an insidious permutation that Northeast 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 Northeast.
“Therefore, the move
to zone the national assembly leadership positions on the behest of interested
personalities with perceived closeness to the president-elect manifesting lays
the dangerous foundation of distrust, and needless suspicion even as it
structures nothing but a combination of booby traps. We must avoid all these.
“Let the North play stronger, more robust and all-inclusive
roles in the emergence of the positions zoned to the region, especially the
speakership.
“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.”
Meanwhile, Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the House of Representatives,
met with members-elect for the 10th assembly amid the leadership tussle.
The detail of the meeting at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel in
Abuja on Tuesday night still remains unknown.
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