North Central APC Youth backs APC zoning arrangement

Amidst political scheming and controversies on who becomes the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Youth Movement of the North – Central zone has backed the zoning arrangement of APC for the various Leadership positions in the National Assembly and specifically in the House of Representatives.

The group reminded proponents of the theory of marginalisation of the North – Central in the zoning of National Assembly positions that the position of Senate President who doubles as the Chairman of the National Assembly has been occupied by the North – Central in the last twelve years.

Senator David Mark was Senate President for eight Consecutive years while Senator Bukola Saraki has been in the saddle since 2015.

According to a press release made available to Tribune Online where Jonah Botruang presided over and Abounu Barnabas as Secretary, the group pointed to several reasons why the majority of the members of the House of Representatives are not favourably disposed to voting Honourable Gbajabiamila as their speaker.

The group however kicked against the candidacy of Honourable Gbajabiamila for the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Rising from its meeting held in Makurdi, they advise the ruling party that if it must prevent a repeat of the 2015 experience where the party was outsmarted in the battle for the Presiding officers of the National Assembly, it must as a matter of urgency begin consultation with all stakeholders to present another candidate for the post of Speaker from the South – West.

Femi Gbajabiamila is seen as a stooge and for the majority of the members a vote for him has the tendency to compromise the independence of the House as the House of Representatives will be “remote controlled”.

“He is also a lone – ranger that does not relate well with his colleagues. Members of the APC caucus that supported his failed ambition in 2015 are yet to recover from the victimisation and deprivation they are subjected to as many of them lost out in the share of Chairmanship and Deputy Chairmanship positions and other ‘’goodies’’ from the Speaker. To many of them who are lucky enough to be re-elected, it’s a case of once beaten twice shy.

ALSO READ: Don’t tamper with NASS rule books, coalition warns NASS Clerk, others

“And if feelers from newly elected members are anything to go by, they are not ready to be used as pawns in the House of Representatives’ political Chess game. Simply put, many of them will not support Gbajabiamila.

In addition to the above, there is a general believe that Lagos State has gotten more than its fair share of appointments in the Buhari regime. The Vice – President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, Minster of Works Power and Housing, a super Minister by all standards, the Chairman of the Federal
Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), the Chairman of the Asset Management Company of Nigeria (AMCON) and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on the Diaspora among others

“With more than 220 members-elect, APC has all it takes to elect the new Speaker since a maximum of 181 votes is all that is needed. But the million Naira question is: If APC insists on Gbajabiamila, won’t there be a repeat performance of 2015?

“It is highly likely that most APC members-elect will not vote for Honourable Gbajabiamila and a reoccurrence of what happened in 2015 is therefore imminent.

“Since APC has zoned the Speakership position to the South – West, the group urge the party to consider other eminently qualified candidates from the region,” the statement read.