The National Working Committee of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has ratified the zoning formula proposed by the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, ignoring protests by aggrieved members of the party on the lopsidedness of the arrangement.
It was reported that, President-Elect Tinubu settled for Godswill Akpabio (South-south) and Barau Jibrin (North-west) for the senate president and deputy senate president respectively.
He also endorsed Tajudeen Abbas (North-west) and Ben Kalu (South-east) for speaker deputy speaker respectively.
The NWC ratified the arrangement on Monday during a special meeting at the national secretariat of the APC in Abuja.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, announced the ratification while briefing journalists after the meeting.
Reading a prepared speech, Mr Morka said the zoning formula was arrived at following a meeting between the leadership of the party and Mr Tinubu. He noted that the party considered the report and adopted it.
With the adoption, the party has shut out the North-central zone from the National Assembly leadership despite protests by the zone.
Read the statement by APC NWC in full:
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 arrangements for 10th National Assembly leadership positions.
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 arrangements for 10th National Assembly leadership positions.
NW called for further and better consultation with necessary stakeholders in order 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:
1. Senate President – South-South – Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom).
2. Deputy Senate President – North West – Senator Barau Jubrin (Kano).
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
3. Speaker, House of Representatives – North West – Hon. Abass Tajudeen (Kaduna)
4. 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.
North-central APC members protest
While the NWC meeting was ongoing, a group of APC members staged a protest at the entrance of the party’s national secretariat, demanding the inclusion of the North-central in the zoning formula.
The group, under the umbrella of APC North-Central stakeholders, described the reported arrangement as outrageous.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Salihu Ibrahim said the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, cannot afford to allow the North-central to be marginalized.
“The party has not taken the North-central into consideration 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 and the party 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.”
Despite the protest, the NWC still ratified the zoning arrangement.
