The Senate Minority Leader and front-line contender in the race for the Senate Presidency, Senator George Akume,  on Friday disagreed with the Pioneer National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress,  Chief Bisi Akande and a leader of the party, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, over their declaration that zoning arrangement won’t be used to determine the next Senate President.

Akume, who spoke with journalists in his Abuja residence on Friday evening, maintained that the party,  before now, had adopted a zoning arrangement which favoured the emergence of the president of the 8th senate, from the North Central,  being his geopolitical zone.

Akande had, in an interview with The Punch earlier this week,  said the party would not employ the use of zoning to determine the next senate president and that  anybody was free to fight for the position.

He had said, “We want the best man to occupy the position. But the trouble is that some people have been talking about zoning and we are asking questions. Is it zoning according to nationality?

“Within the North-Central alone, there are so many nationalities. Is it zoning according to religion? So, we want to be very careful so that we don’t introduce into our system what had not been there before.”

“We want to be careful, otherwise, we won’t be able to produce the best. We are trying to select the best man. We don’t want to entertain what brought the PDP down.”

Also,  Tinubu, in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Thursday, said zoning will not be used to compromise the quality of leadership for the National Assembly adding that the party had decided to allow all those interested in the leadership of the federal parliament, to contest.

He had said,  “Merit will not be compromised. You have to be competent, you have to possess the kind of character, attributes of the leader. You have to be pan-Nigerian and be a very solid character to lead the National Assembly and that is what we are talking about.

“We would not use zoning to determine and compromise the credibility, the qualification of an individual. If you take zoning as discriminatory in some instances, you might compromise the quality of an individual. Let everybody aspire.”

But Akume insisted that zoning was part and parcel of the politics of Nigeria, arguing that Dr.Goodluck Jonathan became the  President of Nigeria as a result of zoning.

He said, “Even if zoning is not explicitly stated in the Constitution, there is always this letting to understanding that there must be fairness and balance in the occupation of strategic positions. We should not throw away zoning.

“In every zone, there are capable Nigerians that will hold their own in every endeavour. So, basically zoning is acceptable to me because it ensures stability. I have not heard from the party that they have jettisoned zoning.

“I remember, the last meeting we had, there was this issue that it has been zoned to North Central. I do not know it has been taken away because the party has not said they are taking it away but all I want to say is that the party made a comment on it.

“I am a faithful party man. I was part of the team that negotiated the merger of this party and I am also in the privilege position to talk about the dynamism of APC.”

Akume said there was nothing wrong with the North Central, and in particular, Benue State,   producing the Senate President all the time even as he argued that the North-West, has also, always produced the president of the country.

http://www.punchng.com/news/senate-presidency-akume-disagrees-with-tinubu-akande-on-zoning/

Cc: Lalasticlala

This thing don dey turn long thing..too much of disagreeing is surely going to cause division within the party.

Why are they contradicting themselves

Merit will not be compromised. You have to be competent, you have to possess the kind of character, attributes of the leader. You have to be pan-Nigerian and be a very solid character to lead the National Assembly and that is what we are talking about.

Emphasis on pan-Nigeria, if don't believe in this country and you're praying for this country to fail, please don't bother contesting for that seat.

I hope and pray this thing goes to Akume eventually.. He has maintained a clean slate both in his political career and his private life. 'A man of sterling quality,.Akume rather than loot the treasury when he was Governor of Benue State, unleashed an avalanche of development in all the facets of the socio-economic endeavours of the state such that between 1999 and 2007 Benue State became a beehive of activities and a very pleasant home for all tribes and religious groups to thrive among the natives harmoniously'. Plus his contributions right from the day I know him has always bn meaningful. He is experienced and honest.
He is the kinda person Nigeria needs as the senate president @ this critical moment.

AND THE SAME AKUME AND HIS TIV BRODAS CAN NOT ZONE BENUE GUBA IDOMA PPL..

Return David Mark of PDP. Make Borrofice of APC his Depury.

Big shame on our supposed leaders who discuss politics after elections instead of good governance nd d economy.

He never do una

Hope this wont turn to seasonal film................

mtcewwwwww. Tinubu v Akume. He nw prefers either lawal or saraki. Old goose. Abeg gve Sam egwu cttee chair. In support say hy.

To me, since Buhari is the President-elect and he's a member of the defunct CPC and Osinbajo the VP-elect is of the defunct ACN, then Senator Ahmad Lawan from Yobe Central should be made the Senate President since he's a member of the defunct ANPP and Amaechi a member of the then nPDP should be made the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).

midolian:
I hope and pray this thing goes to Akume eventually.. He has maintained a clean slate both in his political career and his private life. A man of sterling quality,.Akume rather than loot the treasury when he was Governor of Benue State, unleashed an avalanche of development in all the facets of the socio-economic endeavours of the state such that between 1999 and 2007 Benue State became a beehive of activities and a very pleasant home for all tribes and religious groups to thrive among the natives harmoniously. He is the kinda person Nigeria needs as the senate president @ this critical moment.

stop lying.. Akume was better than Seswuam, but he didn't do all the things you mentioned there.

Good for them


I see no change with this man call Tinubu

power things

issokay

them don start
d[img]http://4.bp..com/-59g3SQ79cdM/VV-6bfKG08I/AAAAAAAACO0/O31QFlol_xo/s1600/jdiirl.jpg[/img]f

Based on that zoning won't make sense though

This My Benue Brother and Mentor self

Is he scared?

Ghen Ghen ghen Ghen

T

We all watching from the sidelines how the drama will unfold

Join our BBM Channel C0017E76C
Ping me on 53460138

The poster below me just asked a dumb question.

On the topic: what is point in zoning, is Akume scared of losing out if the contest is thrown open?

Tinubu are you the new president of Nigeria?

youngprofdguru:
Tinubu are you the new president of Nigeria?

Allow GMB to rule in peace...

Change indeed. !!!

If Akume was to be from the core north or it was agreed in the past that the senate president should be from the NE or NW, will anybody now come out to say competence over zoning? Hahahahaha. Fear north.