Rumpus over APC’s Zoning Arrangement

The zoning arrangement for the leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly released last Monday by the ruling All Progressives Congress has created disaffection within the party, Adedayo Akinwale reports

After weeks of horse-trading, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) last Monday released the zoning arrangement for the 10th National Assembly.

The leadership of the party reached the resolution following the meeting of the NWC held at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja.

However, in a carefully worded statement read to the media, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, said the NWC noted with respect the outcome of the meetings held between the President-elect, Senator Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the NWC and called for further consultations with stakeholders to ensure the support of the aspirants to the National Assembly leadership positions and members of the party nationwide.

He said: “The zoning arrangement reported to the NWC is as follows: Senate President –Senator Godswill Akpabio (South-south, Akwa Ibom); Deputy Senate President – (Senator Barau Jubrin (North-west, Kano); Speaker, House of Representatives – Hon. Abbas Tajudeen (North-west, Kaduna); and Deputy Speaker- Hon. Ben Kalu (South-east, Abia).”

A cursory look at the statement issued by the leadership of the party indicated that the leadership of the party was not on the same page with the president-elect on the zoning.

For instance, the North-central, which contributed immensely to the emergence of Tinubu was conspicuously missing in the zoning arrangement released by the party.

Many analysts had argued that the zone should have been given either the Deputy Senate President or the Speaker, which were both zoned to the North-west, which also produced outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari.

It was against this background that a group of protesters under the umbrella of APC North-central stakeholders stormed the national secretariat of the party, where they accused the ruling party of marginalising the North-central in the zoning of National Assembly leadership positions.

The leader of the group, Salihu Ibrahim, said the North-central has contributed largely to the success of the party and wondered why the region was left out in the scheme of things.

His words: “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 till date we are still on it. 

“Why is it that the National Assembly Speaker is something that elected president of the 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.”

Expectedly, the zoning arrangement is already creating disaffection within the party as contestants have continued with their campaigns despite the zoning arrangement released by the party.

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Idris Wase and the Majority Leader, Hon. Alhasan Doguwa had rejected the consensus arrangement announced by the party.

 Wase and Doguwa, while addressing a press conference in Abuja, said they would not allow the 10th National Assembly to be “hijacked”, and therefore vowed to proceed with their separate bids for the speakership position.

Wase kicked against the party’s nomination, saying they were not consulted before the decision was taken.

He insisted that the parliament must be independent and free from an imposition of any kind.

He said: “We will work as a team. We will not allow this parliament to be hijacked. We will not allow this parliament to be made a lame duck. I believe we are loyal to our country first, loyal to our party and loyal to our people. When you have a consensus candidate, the language for consensus is that there have been mass consultations — people go to the table for discussion. There is agreement.

“In this case, we just saw and are hearing rumours, and speculations that some people have been made consensus candidates. I don’t know whether that is the meaning of consensus. This place  (parliament) is very sacred. We must be honourable in our action in defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

On his part, Doguwa said the “business” of electing principal officers is solely that of the lawmakers. He said Parliament is one institution that must always be allowed to choose its leaders.

Similarly, in defiance of the APC’s zoning arrangement, Hon. Aliyu Betara had declared his intention to occupy the exalted seat in the lower legislative chamber.

Betara, who is under pressure to drop his bid for the Speakership, insisted that he remains the most experienced and prepared to lead the House. The lawmaker declared his bid for the seat shortly after APC unveiled its preferred aspirants.

As if these were not enough, last Wednesday, the aspirants kicking against the adoption of Abass and Kalu as favoured candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House, stormed the APC national secretariat to register their dissatisfaction. The aggrieved aspirants tagged the G-6 were led by incumbent Deputy Speaker, House, Wase.

With him were Betara, Jaji, Gadyi, Sada Soli and Mariam Onuoha. The Leader of the House, Doguwa was absent.

When all the five aspirants were given the opportunity to speak, they expressed disappointment over the consensus deal which was sealed by the APC National Caucus and ratified by the NWC without consultations with other aspirants.

Piqued by the APC’s decision to anoint Abbas as the Speaker, the Minority Caucus of the House had also vowed to render the decision an exercise in futility.

The caucus, led by Nicholas Mutu, argued that they have the “Greater Majority,” with a combined members-elect tally of 183, as against the APC’s total of 177, to pick from among themselves the next Speaker of the House.

The caucus contended that its position was further buoyed by their dominant numerical strength, which by parliamentary ethos, precedent and the 1999 Constitution, as amended, allows them to contest the presiding officers’ positions.

To achieve their objective, the caucus has put together an 11-man committee, charged with the task of shortlisting, screening and making eventual recommendations for the Speakership and Deputy Speakership’s positions. 

Also, some Senators-elect had expressed divergent views on the decision of the party to anoint some members for National Assembly leadership positions.

For instance, the Senator representing Borno south district, Ali Ndume, was of the view that Akpabio was not the “anointed” candidate of the party. 

Ndume who spoke on ARISE News Channel said Akpabio was only a preferred choice of the party.

To him, describing Akpabio as the anointed candidate would connote a “fait accompli”, adding that the label does not represent the situation.

“I don’t think anointed is the right word to use. The APC has Akpabio as its preferred candidate, that would be a better word. Not anointed but preferred candidate. Because if it is anointed then it is fait accompli, which is not the case. We have to go into the chamber and vote, and it can go anywhere.

“Akpabio is going to be first among the equals as president of the senate. It is going to take the remaining 108 of us to restore integrity to the senate,” Ndume added.

In the same vein, a Senate Presidential aspirant, Sani Musa, said his colleagues would decide his fate notwithstanding the decision of APC to settle for Akpabio and Jibrin.

He said, “I am a senator and we have 109 senators. Whatever decision any other organ will give is going to be advisory. And once you give us an advisory note, we will look at it, consider it and we will act in the best interest of Nigeria. Everywhere around the world where there are true democracies, parties make inputs but decisions are left with those elected. I am not aware of that yet. Until when it is officially put before us, then I will comment.”

On his part, Senator  Abdulraham Samaila (NNPP Kano) said they would follow the constitution in electing the leadership of the National Assembly. 

He explained that there is a clear and express provision in the Constitution, which allows members of the National Assembly to choose their presiding officers among themselves, irrespective of party affiliation, religious or ethnic considerations.

“We are practicing constitutional democracy and the presidential system of government, which provides for the National Assembly, executive and judiciary. The parliament is an independent arm of government. The executive is detached from the parliament and judiciary. Therefore, we are canvassing a situation where we will have true separation of power. Let the executive led by Mr. President, exercise its power to balance its positions,” he posited.

In his intervention, Senator Osita Izunaso pointed out that the most natural thing for the APC to do is to zone the office of the Senate President to the South-east, because it was long due. 

He said: “If you are ever contemplating zoning to the South, it is a natural thing that it should go to the South-east. The zone has been part of the process. South–east voted for the APC. If you tell me that the South-east did not vote for the APC, I will tell you that you are not telling the truth. Despite the pressure on the South-east regarding Peter Obi’s candidature, we were able to deliver six Senate seats and two governors.”

The zoning arrangement has also attracted the reaction from Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State who faulted it, describing it as a “skewed arrangement that reinforces injustice”.

The governor in a statement, rejected the zoning formula of this party, saying, “This is an unworkable arrangement that reinforces injustice and enhances inequity.”

As it stands, the aspirants are not ready to quit the race, while other lawmakers-elect are not prepared to back down as they are bent on frustrating the consensus and the zoning arrangement by the ruling party.

With the rejection of APC’s zoning of National Assembly leadership positions, the party might be heading for a repeat of 2015 scenario as aggrieved aspirants are threatening to work against the party’s choice

The days ahead would reveal what would play out on June 6 when the National Assembly would be inaugurated.