Zoning: APC NWC’s Position Deepens 10th NASS Leadership Tussle

The jostle for the leadership positions in the incoming 10th National Assembly heightened further as lawmakers, ostensibly loyal to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, have began lobbying to collect signatures from members-elect in support of his Speakership candidate.

The development followed what a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) described as a ‘deliberate ambiguity’ in the press statement issued by the party’s national spokesman to announce the zoning of presiding offices of the 10th Assembly on Monday.

According to the source: “the whole scenario is totally different from what it used to be. We usually zone to areas or zones and possibly allow persons interested to view for the positions zoned to them.

“But in this case, we were merely handed over what they said has been agreed upon without any input or deliberations from us (NWC).

“So, since that is what they want, we have equally given it back to them and the public to begin to look deeper into whatever ambiguity they can find because we were deliberate and very cautious in our correspondence because we are not babies.

“It is now left for stakeholders to seek whatever intervention, interpretation and clarifications at any level.”

As at the time of this report, it was learnt that a meeting of new lawmakers-elect or freshers under the aegis of the New Dawn that is disposed to the Speakership aspiration of the party’s preferred candidate, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, was about to commence late Monday night.

The meeting was billed to collate signatures but only about 23 of the new members out of over 200 had arrived the venue and a few declined apending their signatures, it was gathered.