APC may retain 2015 zoning arrangement | Nairalaw

By Dare Odufowokan

* Consultations on over S/East, S/South agitations

The All Progressives Congress (APC) may stick to its 2015 zoning
formula in picking the leadership of the incoming 9th National
Assembly, according to feelers from the ruling party.

Although there are ongoing moves to alter the existing zoning
formula for various reasons and considerations, multiple sources
told The Nation that leaders of the party may have resolved to
retain the present arrangement.

Consequently, the northeast will produce the Senate President
and the Southwest Speaker of the House of Representatives.

However, sources said that given the several alterations the
initial zoning arrangement of 2015 was subjected to before it was
truncated by NASS members led by Senate President Bukola Saraki and
House of Reps Speaker Yakubu Dogara, the party will meet with
elected national assembly members and other stakeholders next week
to iron out the issue.

It was also gathered that the majority of the members-elect,
especially returning lawmakers, have agreed in principle, that the
party should co-ordinate the emergence of the next leadership of
the national assembly.

“Most of them are of the opinion that the party, being the
vehicle through which they all got elected, should provide
leadership on the matter,” one source said.

“At an informal meeting with the president and some leaders of
the party, the members-elect, especially returning legislators,
urged the party to put the process of deciding how the principal
officers will emerge in motion immediately, promising to abide by
the suggestions of the party in nominating the leadership of the
two chambers of the assembly upon resumption,” the source
added.

The APC leadership, it was also gathered, is holding
consultations with stakeholders on how to address the fears of the
South-south and the South-east on the sharing of positions in the
legislature.

Some APC federal lawmakers from the two zones are understood to
be interested in the senate presidency and other plum
positions.

One source said:”It is true the party has received some letters
and deputations on the agitations of the two zones (South-south and
South-east) seeking to be considered for certain positions in the
national assembly.

“We indeed appreciate these moves. It is in confirmation of our
collective resolve to promote party supremacy in all we do as a way
of strengthening our democratic experience the more.

“Consequently, I can tell you that consultations and talks are
ongoing with concerned stakeholders on how to address some of the
issues being raised in such a way that everybody is fairly taken
care of and the party is the better for it.

“Don’t forget that there are minority positions too and we will
not be involved in determining those ones.”

Another top level source said: “With more zones, groups and
individuals daily showing interest in the positions, the party is
looking for the best way to handle the matter.

“And one of the suggestions that have received wide applause and
support is the idea of bringing back the zoning arrangement
proffered in 2015 before Saraki and his supporters truncated
efforts by the party to midwife a leadership for the assembly.

“The presidency will remain the same in May 2019 as it was back
then.

“Those promoting the idea are saying since the zones that
produced the president and the vice president will not change, the
zoning arrangement shouldn’t change.

“And a look at the members-elect revealed that the zones
favoured by the 2015 arrangement can still boast of capable and
reliable hands to man the principal offices if given the
opportunities.”

From the results of the national assembly elections so far
released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC),
the APC has the majority in the red chamber with 63 senators,
followed by PDP with 38 while Youth Progressives Party (YFP) has a
seat.

Elections in seven other senatorial districts are
inconclusive.

In the green chamber, the APC also has the majority of members –
211.

The PDP has 111 members while the remaining 16 seats are shared
as follows: APGA – 6; African Democratic Congress (ADC)-3; Action
Alliance (AA) -2; Peoples Redemption Party (PRP)-2; African
Democratic Party (ADP) -1; Allied Peoples Movement (APM) -1; and
Social Democratic Party (SDP) -1.

Twenty-two seats are still up for grabs where elections were
declared inconclusive.

Make-up polls in the affected federal constituencies (excluding
in Rivers State) have been fixed for March 23

No matter the outcome of the supplementary elections, the APC
will retain its majority in the two chambers; hence will provide
leadership for the national assembly.

Culled from TheNation