The All Progressives Congress has yet to adopt a zoning arrangement for principal offices in the National Assembly, some members of the National Working Committee of the party have told Saturday PUNCH.
They also criticised the National Vice Chairman of the party (North-West), Malam Salihu Lukman, over his call for northern senators to withdraw from the race for the office of Senate President in the 10th National Assembly.
The Kaduna politician had stated that it would be unfortunate to have former Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, and the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Appropriation, Senator Jibrin Barau, or any other northern Muslim lawmaker emerge as the next Senate President at a time the APC desired to create a political balance of power.
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The emergence of Yari and Barau increased the number of senators jostling for the number one office in the Red Chamber.
Others in the race are a former Minister for Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio; senator-elect representing Imo West, Osita Izunaso; Sani Musa (Niger East), Peter Ndubueze (Imo North), Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North) and Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu.
But Lukman’s position did not go down well with the leadership of the party and many of the NWC members.
In an exclusive interview with our correspondent, the party’s National Vice Chairman (North Central), Muazu Rijau, confirmed that the ruling party had not decided on the zoning of the Senate President, Speaker, and other principal offices.
He said, “It is Lukman’s personal opinion, not the party position. As a party man, he has a right to air his views. Therefore, his asking any northern aspirant to step down is his personal opinion.
“The party will decide on who or where they choose to zone the Senate presidency and Speaker offices after Sallah. Everything has been suspended for now.
“At the last NWC we had, we agreed to suspend talks on every issue till after Sallah. As you are aware, not all members are in town. Many of us have travelled.”
Another NWC member and National Vice Chairman for the South-East, Dr Ijeoma Arodiogbu, also expressed reservations about the call, saying it did not represent the position of the party.
“Well, it is easy for anybody to say Lukman’s statement favours us in the South-East or South-South. But he is speaking on his own accord.
“Nobody authorised him to say anything to that effect and he is not speaking the position of the NWC. For me being from the South-East, his comment favours me. But I can still say authoritatively that he is not speaking for the NWC,” Arodiogbu added.
Punch
