Tinubu’s absence stalls APC decision on zoning of NASS positions

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday, failed to take a stand on zoning of key leadership positions of the National Assembly at its meeting held in Abuja.

The meeting which was meant to deliberate on key issues including the zoning of the senate presidency and speakership of the 10th National Assembly, failed to arrive at a decision on zoning due to the absence of President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu who was in Rivers State on the invitation of Governor Nyesom Wike to commission some projects in the state.

National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu, who addressed journalists at the end of the meeting, said the NWC could not take a position on the zoning arrangement without the input of Tinubu.

In a statement made available to newsmen, Adamu said:

“The outcome of our four-hour meeting: We came out more formidable and united than anything.

Read Also: Group writes APC chairman, demands zoning of Senate president to South-East

“The zoning of presiding officers of the National Assembly that some of you are asking about is not what today’s meeting is all about. When we want to do zoning, we don’t just go alone as a party,” the statement reads.

“Zoning is to take along the person who has the mandate of the country, the president-elect in the person of Ahmed Bola Tinubu. We have to take him along. He travelled after the elections and came back only last week. We have to carry him along.

“Also, we cannot stop those who are ambitious with zoning, individual or institutional interests. We cannot deny them. For as long as that is there, we have to find a persuasive manner to get some level of consensus. That is what we are working on. It is not a one-day affair.”

“The matter of zoning of leadership of the National Assembly has been on the front burner with different politicians clamouring for certain positions to be zoned to their regions in the interest of equity and national spread.

For the incoming 10th Assembly, the South-East and South-South lawmakers have continued to insist that the Senate Presidency should be zoned to their region while Northern lawmakers also insist on the position thrown open and only contested on the basis of competence and experience mattered.

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