APC Governors Meet Today As Race For 10th NASS Leadership Intensifies

Barring a change of plan, governors elected on the platform of All Progressives Congress (APC) will meet today to strategize on how the leadership of the National Assembly will emerge.

It was gathered that the APC governors, formally called Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), would also commence talks on how the party should zone the leadership offices in the National Assembly.

A party source who disclosed the meeting of the governors to LEADERSHIP, however noted that the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, has remained neutral just as the lobby for offices to be assigned along geo-political lines intensifies.

The key offices being lobbied for are Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Some lawmakers both in the House of Representatives and in the Senate have already declared their interest in the positions of Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Those who have declared for the office of the Senate President are Orji Uzor Kalu, Barau Bibrin, Godswill Akpabio, Adams Oshiomhole, Abdul-Aziz Yari, Dave Umahi and Sani Musa, who will not mind dropping to the position of the deputy Senate president.

In the House of Representatives, those who have declared interest to be speaker are former Speaker of Plateau House of Assembly, Yusuf Gadi; incumbent Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Ahmed Wase, Tunji Olawuyi, Aliyu Betara and Benjamin Kalu.

However, a party source told LEADERSHIP that the governors’ meeting “will focus on harmonising their position ahead of the zoning, or otherwise,  of National Assembly leadership offices.

“They intend to avoid a divided house considering the mistakes of the past, especially in 2015 where the opposition infiltrated APC ranks and caused upsets in how the leadership of the National Assembly emerged,” he said.

Meanwhile, Kwara State Governor Abdulrahaman Abdulrazak has joined the list of governors who have thrown their weight behind the incumbent deputy speaker, Hon Wase, to emerge as Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Governor Abdulrazak declared support for Wase when the latter paid a courtesy call at the Kwara Governor’s Lodge, Asokoro, Abuja.

The Kwara governor said, “We in the north central had resolved long before now that whatever we are qualified to go for, we shall go it. That was the resolution under the Niger governor and that was the reason the Kogi governor fought to be president.

“For now, the party has not taken any position and even the president-elect has remained neutral and maintained that neutrality till this moment.

“By the grace of the Almighty Allah, the APC governors will meet tomorrow (today) and possibly open discussions on it. For now, everything and everywhere is fluid and it is good you are coming out.

“For us in the north-central, we shall meet shortly and ensure we go a consensus candidate and that person must be an experienced hand with the required calmness and pedigree. That will be our beacon and I have no doubt about your experience,” he said.

Wase had earlier been endorsed by governors of Ondo, Ogun, Borno, Kogi, Nasarawa. Two governors of the main opposition PDP, namely Rivers and Osun, had also backed Wase for the top seat.