A Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Kingsley Chinda, has said that zoning will be respected as regard the tussle for the leadership of the National Assembly as long as it will foster peace and unity.
Chinda is a member of the House of Representatives representing the Obior/Akpor federal constituency of Rivers State, OsunDaily News reports.
During an interview over the race for the 10th National Assembly (NASS) leadership, Chinda said he has no issue with where the offices are zoned.
“Like we have said, we will respect the zoning of the majority party, which we expect will foster unity, peace and inclusiveness in the polity. This will eventually help for speedy development in an atmosphere of peace. We are certain that the zoning will be in tandem with the letter and spirit of Section 14 (3) of the Constitution. We shall all comply with the zoning and support candidates from agreed zones,” The PUNCH quoted the lawmaker saying.
On his part, when asked if APC governors will decide for lawmaker on who emerges leaders of the National Assembly, a member-elect for Ogbaru federal constituency of Anambra State, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, said: “APC or any political party for that matter reserves the right to regale itself with talks about micro-zoning leadership positions in the National Assembly. But the overriding question remains, are such fanciful engagements binding of the generality of senators and members-elect?
“The answer today, tomorrow, and until our current Constitution is altered to reflect that desire, is a big no. Issues surrounding this all-important question is easily resolved in the case of the House of Representatives by Section 50 (1) (b), to wit: ”There shall be a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.” Now, the APC Governors Forum, which you say has proposed sharing of these positions to geo-political zones, are they members of the House of Representatives?
“By going the route of zoning, are they not affronting Section 50 of the Nigerian Constitution? Besides, political parties must not always use the National Assembly as guinea pigs for their zoning fancies.”
Speaking further on the issues ahead of the May 29 swearing of the new administration, Ogene questioned why the same governors did not summon the courage they currently seek to flaunt during the presidential primaries by micro-zoning the presidency to a particular zone.
He said: “If it was okay to say that the presidential ticket should go to the South, then I think they ought to follow through with that same template and propose, for instance, that the speakership should go to the North.”
OsunDaily News learnt that due to the competition in the race for the 10th Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives, APC governors had unveiled a zoning formula for the party.
In a memo reportedly ready to be submitted to the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, the governors, under their Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), allegedly recommended that the Senate President be zoned to the South-East, South-South or North-Central.
The Forum also asked that the position of Deputy Senate President be zoned to the North-Central or North-West.
According to the report, the governors have asked for the Speaker of the House to be zoned to the North-Central or North-West just as it also recommended that the office of the Deputy Speaker of the House should go to South-East or South-South.
For other principal offices, the governors said they should be shared amongst aspirants who may step down or lose their bids for the various positions in the NASS.
Zoning is old fashioned
Meanwhile, a member-elect for the Biliri/Ballanga federal constituency of Gombe State, Hon. Ali JC Isa, has said that zoning is old-fashioned.
Speaking during an interview, the lawmaker said that they are too experienced not to know what to do in regards to the NASS leadership tussle.
He said: “We cannot be dragged backwards by zoning. We are here as colleagues, duly elected legislators, to work for our country and not for any party. Yes, we belong to different parties but the nature of our work demands internal collaboration, cooperation and mutual understanding and respect to succeed. It’s when we agree among ourselves that the input is felt outside. So, therefore, we must do what can bring about this in-house cooperation before we relate with the other two arms of government.”
Isa stressed that the ruling party must put its house in order before anything succeeds.
While stressing that zoning cannot be a consideration for such an assemblage, Isa said “If it’s an assembly of a party, we can sit in our various party secretariats to take such decisions based on zoning, but we belong to different political parties. Whoever brings that to the table must be ready for shock and surprises. We have learned a lot from previous experiences and would not want to repeat such.
“All of those who are contesting for speakership has gone far as mobilizing support using their resources to seek the votes of their colleagues, and it will be very unfair and immoral for either the APC or PDP to seek to undermine this by showing selective favouritism in the name of zoning.
“Why didn’t they announce zoning before the general elections? From history, we all know that the most stable and productive legislatures worldwide are those built on mutual understanding where members vote among themselves and their leaders and not imposed by the executive. Such practices are no longer fashionable because ill-wind will blow on democracy”.
