The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Yekini Nabena, has warned that if the party does not get it right on the zoning of key leadership positions in the 9th National Assembly, the 2023 elections may turn out to be a free-fall-all in the ruling party.
Nabena, who gave the warning yesterday while speaking with journalists, called on the APC leadership to ensure that the zoning arrangement for the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in the incoming 9th National Assembly reflected the remaining four geopolitical regions of the country since the president and vice president were picked from the North West and South West respectively.
The Bayelsa-born APC chieftain, who said the party’s National Working Committee (NWC) under the leadership of the APC National Chairman, Com. Adams Oshiomhole, had already zoned the senate presidency to the North East, recommended a zoning arrangement for the remaining positions.
He said, “The APC has elected National Assembly members from all geo-political zones of the country, hence, the party’s leadership and indeed the presidency must make deliberate effort to provide a fair and justifiable zoning arrangement for the 9th National Assembly leadership.
“The zoning arrangement must also respect the fact that the North West and South West have already produced the president and vice president respectively. So, for equity and adherence to the principle of federal character, which is a constitutional requirement, the positions of senate president, deputy senate president, speaker and deputy speaker of the House of Representatives in the incoming 9th National Assembly must be occupied by APC members from the remaining four geopolitical regions of the country,” he said.
According to his suggestion, “The deputy senate president should be zoned to the South South while the speaker and deputy speaker should be zoned to the North Central and South East in any order agreed by the party’s leadership.”
Nabena, who was told that his recommendation was at variance with the aspiration of presumably the South West led by a member/aspirant from Lagos State for the speakership of the House of Representatives, said: “The South West already has a slot filled by the vice president. In any case, the South West does not necessarily translate to Lagos or Ogun State. This is a sentiment widely shared by our members from the zone.”
