More dissension is trailing the planned shar­ing formula for principal officers of the House of Representatives, with the South East and North Central caucuses of the chamber rejecting the All Progressives Congress (APC) zoning proposal for the offices.

The rejection of the APC proposal by the two cau­cuses came a day after the South South Caucus in the House took a similar step.

The party had proposed to the leadership of the House that Majority Leader of the Chamber should go to the South West, while the deputy chief whip should emerge from the South South.

However, addressing newsmen in separate press conferences shortly after yesterday’s plenary, the South East and North Cen­tral caucuses accused the ruling party of marginalis­ing them in the sharing of the offices.

They claimed that the party had completely ex­cluded them from the prin­cipal positions in the House.

They advised the party to take cognisance of the Federal Character principle embedded in the constitu­tion in allotting the princi­pal offices.

Ahman Pategi from Kwara State, who spoke on behalf of the North Central caucus in the House, said the party’s position was tak­en without consulting the caucus. He said members of the caucus were shocked when the party stated in its publications that it arrived at the decision after due consultation.

“We are also amazed by the directive of the party to the leadership of the House to take necessary action on the purported choice made by the party, which we see as a clear usurpation of the powers of the zonal cau­cuses and their members as guaranteed by the constitu­tion and the standing rules of the House of Representa­tives.

“We therefore, strongly reject the purported selec­tion by the party, which we see as being in conflict with the principle of the Federal Character as enshrined in the Constitution of the Fed­eral Republic, “Pategi said.

The North Central, he said, wanted fairness and equity in the filling of other principal positions of the House of Representatives following the emergence of the speaker and deputy speaker.

Echoing a similar posi­tion, Austin Chukwukere from Imo State, who spoke on behalf of the South East caucus, said: “We can’t stand here and allow the party sweep us out.

In the spirit of Federal Character the party has not done the right thing.”

Chukwukere stated that if the South East was not car­ried along in the selection of the principal officers, it would challenge the zone’s resolve to serve the party.

http://sunnewsonline.com/new/reps-south-east-north-central-caucuses-allege-marginalisation/

This doesn't seem to be a good idea. I perceive more crisis in future.

nicee