Split in APC leadership? Deputy spokesman votes North-Central to produce Speaker

There seems to be division in the All Progressives Congress (APC) national leadership over which zone of the country produces Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th National Assembly.

Deputy national publicity secretary of the party, Yekini Nabena, on Tuesday advised the party to zone the position to the North-Central zone.

Nabena’s call for the position to be zoned to North-Central is coming after the national chairman of the party, Adams Oshiomhole, has constantly maintained that the position has been zoned to the South West.

Already, the party is said to have penned down current Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, as its adopted candidate for the Reps speakership position.

But, Nabena, who addressed newsmen in Abuja, argued that since Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo is from South-West, that the zone should no longer be considered in the zoning of National Assembly positions.

He equally said that North-West should also not be considered since President Muhammadu Buhari is from that zone.

According to Nabena, APC has a duty to ensure those who will emerge as Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in the 9th National Assembly are people from zones outside North West and South West, but from the remaining four geopolitical regions of North East, North Central, South East and South-South.

He said, “The APC has elected National Assembly members from all geopolitical zones of the country. Hence, the party’s leadership and indeed the Presidency must take deliberate efforts to provide a fair and justifiable zoning arrangement for the Ninth 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 Ninth National Assembly must be occupied by APC members from the remaining four geopolitical regions of the country.

“The Deputy Senate President should be zoned to the South-South while the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives should be zoned to the North-Central and South-East in any order agreed by the party’s leadership.”

When reminded of the party’s alleged position on South-West to produce the next Speaker and its supposed adoption of Gbajabiamila’s aspiration, he said, “The South-West already has a slot filled by the Vice President.

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“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.

“As I earlier stated, the party’s leadership must take deliberate steps to provide a fair and justifiable zoning arrangement for the incoming Ninth National Assembly leadership.

“Our actions and inactions will have serious implications on party unity and positively or negatively affect our standing ahead of 2023.”

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