The jostle for the leadership positions in the incoming 10th National Assembly heightened as some lawmakers-elect rejected the zoning and consensus position of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
OsunDaily News recalls that the APC had on Monday zoned the Senate Presidency position to the South-South (Godswill Akpabio), Deputy Senate President to North-West (Jibrin Barau), Speakership to North-West (Tajudeen Abbas) and Deputy Speaker to South-East (Benjamin Kalu).
Reacting to the APCโs decision, a member of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC described the press statement issued by the partyโs national spokesman as a โdeliberate ambiguity.โ
โThe 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,โ Leadership quoted the source as saying.
โBut in this case, we were merely handed over what they said has been agreed upon without any input or deliberations from us (NWC).
โSo, 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.
โIt is now left for stakeholders to seek whatever intervention, interpretation, and clarifications at any level.โ
Meanwhile, lawmakers loyal to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, have begun lobbying to collect signatures from members-elect to support his Speakership candidate.
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 partyโs preferred candidate, Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, was held late Monday night.
The meeting was billed to collate signatures, but only about 23 of the new members out of over 200 had arrived at the venue, and a few declined apending their signatures, it was gathered.