9th National Assembly: APC, lawmakers may clash over leadership zoning

The ruling All Progressives Congress may be facing a palpable
dilemma over the zoning of leadership positions in the 9th National
Assembly. Punch report.

Findings by Saturday PUNCH showed that lawmakers from various
geopolitical zones were making conflicting demands, claims and
counter-claims.

Some of the lawmakers who spoke to our correspondents on
Thursday argued that the North-East had produced more votes for the
APC in the just-concluded general elections than the South-West and
should be rewarded with certain positions which the South-West was
also clamouring for.

The South-West is clamouring for the position of Speaker in the
House of Representatives and that of Deputy Senate President in the
Senate

Speaking with one of our correspondents, a member of the House
of Representatives from Bauchi State, Mr Abdulrazak Namdas, said,
“Our argument is that, when Senator David Mark became Senate
President, he spent eight years, and he is from Benue State in the
North-Central. And don’t forget that the zone has produced several
Senate presidents. Before Mark, there was Ibrahim Mantu who was
Deputy Senate President. And now, there is Bukola Saraki as Senate
President (from Kwara State), also from the zone.

“What we are now saying is that, given the pattern that we have
had and that Dogara has been able to stabilise us in the
North-East, it is only fair that we allow that structure to
continue for the next four years. The people will also have a sense
of belonging, of having a speaker from the zone for eight
years.”

Another APC chief from Taraba State in the North-East, Mr Garba
Chede, supported the call for zoning of the top seats to the
geopolitical zone.

“The reason why we want these positions zoned to the North-East
is that though the incumbent Speaker became Speaker by accident,
look at what (the votes) our zone is fetching. That is why we are
saying now we want the speaker to come from that zone. This is our
demand.”

The APC is said to be considering presenting Femi Gbajabiamila
as the Speaker and Ahmed Lawan as the Senate President.

There are fears that should the APC insist on Lawan from the
North-East as Senate president, the choice will clash with the
interest of some APC representatives who want the Speaker’s seat
zoned to the geopolitical zone.

The three leading aspirants for the Senate President position in
the North-East are Lawan, Senator Ali Ndume (Borno State) and
Senator Danjuma Goje (Gombe State). Another aspirant, Senator
Abdullahi Adamu, who was the chairman of the Northern Senators’
Forum, is from Nasarawa State, North-Central.

In the House, some members of the APC have called for the
retention of the office of the speaker by the North-East
geopolitical zone contrary to the ruling party’s 2015 zoning
arrangement which gave the slot to the South-West.

The lawmakers from the zone, some of whom are aspiring for the
position, argued that it would be unfair for the ruling party to
zone the office elsewhere.

In the South-West, the APC is faced with the conflicting demands
of its members, especially how to resolve the conflict between
those aspiring to leadership positions in the Senate and the House
of Representatives. Should the ruling party present Gbajabiamila as
the Speaker in line with the party’s 2015 zoning arrangement, the
South-West lawmakers from the zone aspiring to be deputy senate
president will be eased out of the leadership arrangement.

Saturday PUNCH had exclusively reported that the wife of the
national leader of the APC and the lawmaker representing Lagos
Central Senatorial District, Senator Oluremi Tinubu; former
majority leader and Senator-elect, Oyo-Central, Teslim Folarin; and
Senator Ajayi Boroffice were eyeing the position of the deputy
Senate president. Senator Tinubu had confirmed her interest.

Similarly, senators from South-East and South-South have called
for the zoning of the leadership positions to the zones, especially
the deputy Senate president position.

A senator told one of our correspondents that there were three
APC senators from the South-South; Ovie Omo-Agege (Delta State),
Francis Alimikhena (Edo State), and the third one, a new entrant,
is Senator-elect, Biobarakuma Degi-Emerenyo, representing
Bayelsa-East.

The lawmaker, who is rooting for Omo-Agege, said, “All ranking
senators are qualified to vie for presiding offices. As a ranking
member, Omo-Agege, from the South-South, is qualified to be deputy
Senate president.

“Omo-Agege is interested in being the deputy Senate president or
any position zoned to the South-South, he only wants to abide by
whatever APC says. Indeed, Omo-Agege has been loyal to Buhari and
the APC. He also has the capacity. In the name of loyalty, he now
carries a scar; he carries a scar from defending Mr President. For
that, the pro-Saraki people wanted his head on a platter. This is
the time to reward that loyalty.”

When contacted to confirm the aspiration, Omo-Agege said, “No
comment.”

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH on Friday, Omo-Agege said, “The six
geopolitical zones must be accommodated as the principal offices
are shared. At least, one of those key offices ought to go to each
of the six geopolitical zones.

“The Nigerian electorate have already settled the issue of the
President (North-West) and Vice-President (South-West). I believe
the other four key offices must be shared in such a way that the
other geopolitical zones will be accommodated.

Adding to the conflict of interest, a group, South East Main
Media Forum, has asked the ruling APC to ensure that an Igbo
lawmaker emerges the next Senate president.

At a press briefing in Owerri, the Imo State capital, on Friday,
the group’s spokesperson, Modestus Nwamkpa, said the call was
politically and morally justifiable.

According to him, with the re-election of Benjamin Uwajumogu,
the South-East has a ranking senator from the APC.

He said that with the President from the North-West; Vice
President from the South-West, Chief Justice of the Federation from
the North-East and the APC national chairman from the South-South,
the South-East should be supported to produce the next Senate
president.

He said, “Suffice it to say that the South-East being a major
bloc in the country’s political arrangement deserves nothing less
than the Senate presidency. Already, with the re-election of
President Buhari from the North-West and Prof. Osinbajo from the
South-West, the next in line in the order of political hierarchy
which is the Senate president should, as a matter of equity,
justice and fairness naturally come to the South-East in line with
the federal character principle.

“This is only fair, just and equitable and again this will
further re-assure the people of South-East that the present
government of President Muhammadu Buhari has the interest of the
South-East at heart.”

Saturday PUNCH had exclusively reported that barely one week
after the National Assembly election was held, lawmakers who won
had begun to lobby for leadership positions.

The claims and counter-claims are pointers that another
leadership crisis in the federal legislature looms.

The APC had in 2015 zoned the position of the Senate President
to the North-East and that of the Speaker to the South-West.

The APC had also chosen the current Senate Majority Leader,
Senator Ahmad Lawan (Yobe, North-East), to be the President of the
Senate; and the House Majority Leader, Mr Femi Gbajabiamila (Lagos,
South-West), to be the Speaker.

However, Senator Bukola Saraki (Kwara, North-Central) and Mr
Yakubu Dogara (Bauchi, North-East), who were APC members then,
formed an alliance with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party to
emerge as Senate President and Speaker, respectively.

While Senator Ike Ekweremadu (Enugu, South-East) of the PDP was
elected Deputy Senate President as part of the deal, Mr Yusuff
Lasun (Osun, South-West) of the APC emerged as the deputy Speaker
against the wish of the ruling party.