Memo To APC NWC On 10th NASS Leadership Need To Avert Destruction

By Fouad Ahmad

Since 1999 Nigeria has produced Eight Speakers of the House of Representatives, North-West geo-political zone dominated the speakership seat with four persons from the zone holding the office, Ibrahim Buhari, Ghali Umar Na Abba both from Kano state. Aminu Bello Masari, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal from Katsina and Sokoto produce one speaker respectively. North East produced one speaker Yakubu Dogara. South West produce three speakers Dimeji Bankole, Patricia Etteh and Femi Gbajabiamila Incumbent speaker of the house of representatives. Looking into consideration North West and North East held the office of the speaker for the span of twenty years. But the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) adopted the preferred candidates, for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

Before the adoption of the party nominated leaders About ten Aspirants from all the geo-political zones of the country had sprung up for various positions following the delay by the party’s national leadership in deciding on the zoning formula. National publicity secretary, Barrister Felix Morka, said the party has settled for a former governor of Akwa Ibom State, Senator Godswill Akpabio (South-South) and Barau Jibrin from Kano (North West) as president and deputy Senate president. The party also endorsed Hon. Abbas Tajudeen from Kaduna (North West) and Hon. Ben Kalu from Abia State (South East) as Speaker and deputy of the House of Representatives respectively.

Since the announcement made by the party NWC the decision has raised resentment among those that vying for the speakership seat and the aggrieved APC aspirants under the Coalition of Progressive Speakership Aspirants (COPSA) already made their complaint before the party national champion and protest should not be disregarded.

in a meeting with the APC leadership, the deputy speaker who led the COPSA insisted that the zoning arrangement must be revisited in the overall interest of the party, explained that the zoning of the office of the speaker to the North-West was done without due consultation and it’s against the spirit of fairness and equity. Even before DS led aggrieved aspirants to party headquarters North-Central caucus Senators-elect rejected the arrangement, saying it is an open denial of their rights and privileges. Political watchers and other stakeholders anticipated this political scheming since the party preferable seems flavor North West despite North Central geopolitical has never produced a speaker except Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives currently holding by Hon Wase.

It would be recalled when Former President Jonathan lost control of his administration on the day which Aminu Tambuwal Saraki and Dogara outsmarted APC leadership and outgoing President Buhari remain helplessness as the duo emerged senate president and speaker with the support of PDP’s members in eight national assemblies. On the day the president made proclamation of the 10th National Assembly if the party not do the right thing there will be a prospect for those denying to contest for the seat to work with opposition party members against the wishes of their party decision like what happened in 2011 and 2015.Despite the ruling governing party having the majority in both green and red chambers in 2015 compared with yet to be Inaugurations 10th National Assembly. Nevertheless, the people wait to see what will unfold on the day the president will proclamation the two chambers.

Let the ruling governing party and the incoming President do the needful by preventing revolt against the candidates of the ruling party because having divided party members can contribute to the administration’s failure to achieve it’s much needed progress as it happens to the outgoing administration. Nigerians await to witness how ongoing revolt by the most ranking member that vying for the speakership seat, especially those in the Coalition of Progressive Speakership Aspirants (COPSA).

To many political watchers they seem the zoning formula proposed by the APC short-charge North Central geopolitical zone is the only zone with no representation in this micro zoning by the party. Wase emphasizes the need for the ruling party to follow the Nigerian constitution in ensuring that the North-central is not excluded from the distribution of offices. North Central deserved the position of the speaker because current deputy speaker of the House is the most ranking member who won election on the platform of Action Congress (AC) in the dominan PDP controlling state of Plateau.

The deputy speaker led other aggreved aspirants to the National Headquarters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Abuja insisted zoning arrangement must be revisited in the overall interest of the party, explained that the office of the speaker to the North-West without due consultation is against the spirit of fairness and equity.

Despitefully, the ruling governing party loses its strength in the North West swing States of Kano, Kaduna and Katsina during the presidential and National Assembly election. T he North-central has not produced the Speaker in the last 24 years after the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999. , Nigeria is built on the supremacy of the law and the sacredness of the constitution for justice to reign and to keep the peace in the country and also prevent doom in the upcoming 10th national assembly Without any sentiment North Central region should be fairly compensation with speakership office in light of the consistent delivery of votes to the All Progressives Congress (APC). The zone is critical to the electoral success of the party and could not afford to be ignored.

Fouad write in from Kano*