Speakership: APC to unveil zoning arrangement soon ― Onilu

The national leadership of the All Progressives Congress has said it would soon unveil its zoning arrangement for all principal positions of the 9th Assembly.

National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mallam Lanre Isa-Onilu gave the assurance in a statement last night.

The 9th Assembly is expected to be inaugurated in June.

Findings revealed that the party stakeholders have since zoned the position of Senate President to the Northeast and endorsed Senator Ahmed Lawan from Yobe State as its anointed choice.

But it has since been silent on the zoning of the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives and all other principal offices for both chambers of the national assembly.

Onilu in the statement disclosed that the party will soon make public its zoning arrangement.

He said: “Our party will soon release the zoning arrangements for the principal positions of the incoming 9th National Assembly.

“The party will also make its position clear in the coming days on the principal positions in the House of Representatives.”

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Amidst report that its anointed candidate for the position of Senate President, Senator Lawan has been holding nocturnal meetings with lawmakers in the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP) Onilu maintained that there was nothing untoward in his anointed candidate consultations with PDP senators-elect and by extension, top chieftains of the PDP.

“We are inundated with reports of our members in the National Assembly holding consultations with members of the opposition over the election of leaders into the 9th National Assembly. Let me state that our party has no objection to such consultations. It is a normal democratic practice world over to stretch hands across the divides.

“And contrary to some media reports, the actions of our members do not contradict the party’s position. APC has a comfortable majority in both chambers, therefore; we have the number to produce the leadership.

“But democracy recognises the importance of the opposition. Especially when you do not have two-third which would be required at some very critical situations. For us as a ruling party, we understand that a stable and peaceful National Assembly would enhance our capacity to deliver more for the people of Nigeria.

“So the party is not averse to negotiation by Senator Ahmed Lawan and our other Senators-elect working to fulfil the position taken by our party.

“It is important to note that one of the key considerations for adopting him as the party’s candidate for the Senate Presidency is his ability to carry everyone along. On top of that, the party has confidence in him not to compromise the progressive ideology of APC. So clearly, Senator Ahmed Lawan is capable of conducting his negotiations within the prism of APC’s objectives.”