Photo: Akpabio, endorsed by Tinubu for Senate President
10th Assembly: Northcentral loses out as APC gifts Northwest 2 positions
The North-central geopolitical zone has been schemed out of the zoning of the various leadership positions in the National Assembly by the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
This follows the outcome of the meeting between President-elect, Bola Tinubu and some party leaders at Tinubu’s residence in Abuja where former Akwa Ibom Governor Godswill Akpabio from the South-south geopolitical zone was endorsed for Senate President.
It was gathered that the Northwest geopolitical zone was rewarded with the position of the Deputy President of the Senate with Sen Barau Jubrin from Kano North Senatorial District endorsed as Akpabio’s deputy.
The Northwest was also given the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives, with Rep Tajudeen Abbass (Zaria Federal Constituency) selected as Speaker, while the Deputy Speaker position went to the Southeast with Rep Benjamin Kalu (Bende Federal Constituency) endorsed to clinch it.
It was learned that the exclusion of the North-central zone from the power-sharing generated serious ripples at the meeting but everyone had to bow to the superior position of the president-elect who stood firm in his endorsement of the arrangement.
Two Rep members from the zone, current Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase and Yusuf Gagdi, both from Plateau State, had indicated interest in getting the speakership position zoned to the North-central to enable them contest for it.
A source at the meeting however explained that the North-central, Northeast and Southwest were excluded from the NASS positions because they currently already hold the positions of APC National Chairman, Vice President-elect and President-elect, respectively.
He disclosed that those who opposed the zoning of Speaker of the House and deputy president of the Senate to the Northwest were also shut down, culminating in an inexplicable situation where the two positions were zoned to one geopolitical zone.
Periscope International learned that the meeting which was presided over by Tinubu had the national chairman of APC, Sen Abdullahi Adamu; APC’s national secretary, Sen Iyiola Omisore; APC’s deputy national chairman, (North), Sen Abubakar kyari and deputy national chairman (South), Chief Emma Eneukwu, in attendance.
Other APC chieftains who attended the meeting were Senate President, Ahmad Lawan; Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
“The zoning of the various leadership positions in the National Assembly by APC was made public today after a meeting presided over by the Presidents-elect in Abuja.
“The positions of Senate president; deputy Senate president; Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House were given to Senator Godswill Akpabio, Senator Barau Jubrin, Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu, in that order.
“The outgoing Senate President, Sen Ahmad Lawan, who renewed his opposition to Akpabio as his successor, could not have his way as his position was turned down by the president-elect. Lawan was overwhelmed and had no option than to succumb,” the source said.
