* Zone’s senators, Reps-elect insist on Deputy Senate President, Speaker
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Governors of the North-central geopolitical zone on Monday in Abuja, rejected the zoning arrangements announced by the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly.
The chief executives of the states in the region took the position after hours of deliberations on the issue at a meeting of their caucus in Abuja which ended late.
The governors from the region represented by Governors Yahaya Bello and Abdulfatai Abdulrazaq, had earlier at a meeting penultimate week, endorsed the position of the senators-elect on the issue.
The states’ chief executives at another forum on Monday after the announcement of the leadership positions’ zoning arrangements by the APC, maintained that they were in full support of the positions of the elected senators from the region that had been endorsed by the governors.
Their resolution was signed by the attendees including Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State and Chairman, North-central Governors Forum.
Others were Simon Lalong (Governor, Plateau State); Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq (Kwara State); Abdullahi Sule, (Nassarawa); Bello (Kogi);
Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia, Governor-elect, (Benue); Senator Mohammed Sani Musa; (aspirant); Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase
Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives (aspirant) and Yusuf Gagdi, a member of the House of Representatives (aspirant).
The resolution, made available to THISDAY late Monday evening read: “The meeting resolved as follows: That the North-central as a geopolitical zone are fully committed to supporting the incoming administration of President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a better Nigeria.
“It will do everything possible to ensure the Renewed Hope agenda is actualized for the prosperity of all Nigerians.
“The meeting reviewed the proposed zoning structure released and promised to reach out to the President-elect, His Excellency Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and APC National Working Committee to appeal for re-consideration of the zoning of the presiding offices of the National Assembly as released by the NWC.
“The meeting discussed the zoning as released and raised reservation with the allocation of the positions of the Deputy Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 10th National Assembly to a particular geopolitical zone of the country.
“That the meeting resolved and agreed to fully utilize all necessary dialogue and consultations to resolving the NASS leadership issue, they all agreed to reach out to all major stakeholders for an amicable and acceptable zoning framework that will be all inclusive.
“The governors agreed with the aspirants’ positions and appealed to all senators and members-elect to continue to give Mr President-elect all the support needed for the smooth take off of the 10th National Assembly, while also furthering consultations.
“The meeting will reconvene again to review issues.”
The North-central is the only geopolitical zone that had been completely left out in the 10th National Assembly leadership positions announced last week which the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, had pledged would be revisited.
