Leaders of the All Progressives Congress on
Thursday failed to reach a decision on the zoning of
political offices.
They met at the Rivers State Governors’ Lodge at
Asokoro, Abuja all through Wednesday night and the
early hours of Thursday.
The leaders however adjourned the meeting after
considering the party’s performance in the last
general elections as well as the way forward for this
week’s re-run elections in Abia, Imo and Taraba
states.
It was learnt that they felt more consultations were
needed before a final decision could be taken on
position sharing.
A highly placed member of the party, who spoke to
The PUNCH about the meeting, explained that the
APC leadership was only being meticulous.
The member, who asked not to be named because he
was not authorised to speak on the issues discussed
at the meeting , said, “We have to be careful in
dealing with such sensitive issues because we must
carry everybody along to eliminate the possibility of
having aggrieved members who could be used by our
opponents.
“If you remember, the President-elect, (Muhammadu
Buhari) has promised to be the President of those
who voted for and against him and even those who
did not vote. And in keeping with this promise, we
want to come up with what is fair to all like we have
done so far. We may meet again today(Thursday) or
tomorrow(today).”
The PUNCH however gathered that the APC National
Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, was mandated to
meet with the serving and elected lawmakers of the
party to feel their pulse on the zoning of the principal
offices in the National Assembly.
The meeting which was scheduled for Thursday was
postponed for an undisclosed reason.
When contacted by one of our correspondents, the
National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Lai
Mohammed, said, “Like I told you yesterday
(Wednesday), our leaders only met to discuss party
issues, there was no National Working Committee or
National Executive Council meeting. “When we hold
such a meeting, we will let you know.”
The APC leaders at the meeting were the President-
elect, Muhammadu Buhari; the Vice-President-elect,
Yomi Osinbajo; former Vice President Atiku Abubakar
and a former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Ahmed
Tinubu.
Others were a former National Chairman of the
defunct All Nigeria Peoples Party, Ogbonnaya Onu,
publisher of Leadership Newspaper, Sam Nda-
Isaiah; the Chairman of the Progressives Governors’
Forum, Rochas Okorocha, Rivers State Governor
Rotimi Amaechi; Nasarawa State Governor, Tanko Al-
Makura, and Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole.
The Chairman Senate Committee on Millennium
Development Goals, Ali Ndume, and the
governorship candidate of the All Progressive Grand
Alliance for the April 25 re-run election in Abia State,
Dr. Alex Otti, made surprise appearances at the
national secretariat venue of the meeting.
Ndume, who is among those being tipped for a
leadership position in the incoming 8th Senate, held
a closed-door meeting with some leaders of the
party.
He later told journalists that the North-East where he
comes from was seeking for the highest available
office. The lawmaker added that as genuine party
members, they were prepared to abide by whatever
decision the party arrived at on the matter.
He said, “Anything that is given to us will be okay. We
have contributed so much as a zone. We even prefer
to be given the best but we know that the best cannot
be given to all.
“For instance, we prefer to be given even the
presidency but that has been given to another zone
and the vice- president also to another zone.
“The party is considering all these and we are
pushing our case. It is left for the party to decide
what is in the best interest of the country which is
what the party stands for.”
It was not clear why Otti was at the venue of the
meeting with the leaders of the APC but insiders
believe his visit was to consolidate on a working
relationship he has developed with the APC.
Meanwhile, a member of National Executive Council
of the APC told one of our correspondents that the
South-East would not produce any principal officers
in the Buhari administration.
The NEC member said the inability of the region to
produce a senator or a member of the House of
Representatives in the April 11 elections shut out the
zone from producing any principal officer.
The NEC member, who spoke on condition of
anonymity, explained that the idea of picking a
Peoples Democratic Party senator-elect or House of
Representatives-elect as a principal officer was
impossible.
He said, “The national leader of the APC, Asiwaju
Tinubu, has gone to the US. He will also be in London.
If Senator Chris Ngige had won his election into the
Senate, he would have been an automatic candidate
for the senate presidency.
“There’s no way a PDP senator or federal lawmaker
would be selected for any of the principal posts
which include the senate presidency, deputy senate
presidency, speaker and deputy speaker. You cannot
be a senate president or speaker if you are not a
ranking member of the leading party in the House.” www.punchng.com/news/apc-leaders-fail-to-agree-on-zoning/

Just in case

This is just the beginning. They should better conclude in unison reason being "a house that is divided cannot stand" how can they lead a divided Nigeria when they are abscind?

Over the years northerners and southwesterners has been doing their things without southeast so it didnt start today but there is GOD according to somebody. And its because of this kind marginalization that makes them to go to china, japan, etc and import some goods to nigeria and when they begin to sell it at least to survive, some people will say they are thieves and they always make the price of goods escalate, you cant be in two places at the same time.