Respect APC’s Zoning Arrangement, Legislative Aides Tell Yari, Others

Forum of National Assembly Legislative Aides from North West geopolitical zone, has called on aspirants in 10th National Assembly leadership race as well as  senators and members-elect to support the choices recently made by the All Progressives Congress (APC) on the race.

The forum made the call in Abuja yesterday at a special press conference at the National Assembly.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of APC had in its zoning arrangements for the leadership of 10th National Assembly, picked Senator Godswill Akpabio from South-South, as preferred candidate for Presidency of the Senate and Senator Jibrin Barau from North West for Deputy President of the Senate.

The party in a statement signed to that effect by its national publicity secretary, Felix Morka, picked Hon Tajudeen Abbas from North West for the Speakership position of the House of Representatives and Hon Benjamin Kalu from South East for Deputy Speakership position.

The zoning arrangement was however rejected by some other APC federal lawmakers-elect interested in the positions like Abdulaziz Yari from Zamfara West, vying for Senate President, Sani Musa vying for Deputy Senate President, Muktar Betara, vying for Speakership of the House of Representatives etc.

But in their support for the choices made by the NWC of APC, the National Assembly Legislative Aides from North West, said the party was in order for picking Senator Barau for Deputy President of the Senate and Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas for Speakership of the House of Representatives.

The forum in its statement signed by zonal leader, Abdulrazaq Dunkawa and secretary, Silas Gabriel Garba, said North West deserved the two presiding officers’ positions zoned to it, for contributing the highest number of votes to the APC in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Their comments reads in part: “We Legislative Aides from the North West like to place on record that the geo – political zone contributed the highest number of votes to the APC in the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

“Results from the elections show that North West played a crucial role in keeping APC in power by securing the majority of Honourable members and Distinguished Senators in both chambers.

“The Zone no doubt rightly deserves the zoning made by the party as far as leadership of the 10th National Assembly is concerned.

“We therefore call on other contestants to allow for party supremacy to establish discipline, order and legislative democracy to thrive in the 10th National Assembly.”