Tinubu’s absence delays NWC decision on the senate presidency, speakership zoning

The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress failed to take a decision on the zoning of the senate presidency and speakership of the 10th National Assembly during its meeting in Abuja on Wednesday.

The National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, disclosed that the NWC could not take a position on the zoning arrangement without the input of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, who was away in Port Harcourt to inaugurate some projects executed by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, at the time of the meeting.

The four-hour meeting, which started at about 1 pm was presided by Adamu with no fewer than 18 of the 24-member NWC in attendance.

The meeting was expected to lay to rest the speculations about the zone that would produce the principal officers of the 10th National Assembly.

While the South-East and South-South lawmakers believed it is equitable to award the Senate Presidency to their zones, their Northern counterparts are insisting that only the parameters of competence and experience mattered.

Addressing newsmen after the end of the parley, the chairman disclosed that they had a meaningful deliberation that further connotes that the party leadership remained more formidable and united.

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

“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. “

In a similar vein, the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Felix Morka, re-echoed the sentiments of the chairman when asked about the outcome of the NWC meeting.

He added, “We are not wasting time. There is no timeline to do so. The zoning is something that the party does. It is a mechanism by which the party is able to make decisions and afford those who are interested in competing for power in the leadership of the 10th National Assembly to do so seamlessly with a minimum rift and rancour.”

Multiple sources explained that the APC was planning to plead with ambitious aspirants to settle for the consensus option.

A source said, “The party leadership only deliberated on the leadership crisis in APC South-South, consensus candidates in place of zoning and an appeal for the National Vice Chairman for North-West, Mallam Salihu Lukman, to save the party from embarrassment by withdrawing his lawsuit.’’

Lukman had dragged Adamu and the APC National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore, to court for breach of the party Constitution.

In what looked like a counter-move, the National Legal Adviser, Ahmad El-Marzuq, also wrote a legal opinion to Adamu four days ago recommending severe punishment for Lukman, including expulsion for taking the party to court.

PUNCH