10th NASS Leadership: Lawmaker Downplays Zoning

As preparation for the inauguration of the10th National Assembly in June continues, a member-elect in the House of Representatives, Hon Dr Ali JC Isa, has said members-elect will choose principal officers based on credibility and competence and not zoning.

The member who will represent  Biliri/Ballanga federal constituency of Gombe State said zoning will not be a factor in producing the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

He said the incoming lawmakers whom he has interacted with are desirous to have a stable legislature that is built on mutual respect, separation of powers and values its independence.

Recall that an online platform had  reported an alleged plot by some APC governors to cow their elected legislators into submitting to zoning a few days ago.

Similarly, members-elect to the federal legislature have been holding meetings in the build up to the choosing principal officers in the National Assembly.

Reacting however, Isa said the incoming lawmakers are bent on salvaging the image of the legislature.

He said, “I can tell you for free that we are too experienced not to know what to do. We cannot be dragged backward by zoning. We are here as colleagues, duly elected legislators to work for our country and not for any party. Yes we belong to different parties but the nature of our work demands internal collaboration, cooperation and mutual understanding and respect to succeed. It’s when we agree among ourselves that the input is felt outside. So therefore we must do what can bring about this in-house cooperation before we relate with the other two arms of government.

“We must put our house in order before anything succeeds so therefore zoning cannot be a consideration for such an Assemblage. If it’s an Assembly of a party, we can sit in our various party secretariats to make such decisions based on zoning but we belong to different political parties. Whoever is bringing that to the table must be ready for shock and surprises. We have learned alot from previous experiences and would not want to repeat such,” the lawmaker said.

According to Hon Ali, “All of those who are contesting the Speakership have gone far mobilising support using their resources to seek for the votes of their colleagues  and it will be very unfair and immoral for either the Apc and PDP to seek to undermine this by showing selective favouritism in the name of zoning. Why didn’t they announce the zoning before the general elections? From history we all know that the most stable and most productive legislatures all over the world are those built on mutual understanding where members vote from among themselves their leaders and not imposed from the executive. Such practices are no longer fashionable because of the ill wind of the blow on democracy,” he said.