Hope Arewa Development Initiative, a pan northern group has urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to reconsider its zoning arrangement, which it said does not favour the North East geo-political zone. The group said it would rather have the Senate Presidency slot considering the party’s performance in the just concluded general election.

Rising from an emergency meeting held in Abuja Tuesday, the Initiative in its resolution called on the National Working and the National Executive committees to jettison the earlier arrangement prepared in Obudu and consider zones that performed well in the just concluded elections.

“We see no moral justification to hand the Speakership slot to the south west”, adding, that the singular arrangement was the main reason the North East was given the party’s National Chairmanship slot.

"We call on the PDP top hierarchy to Jettison that arrangement and zone the various leadership positions particularly in the National Assembly to reflect party performance in states as well as national character,” it stated.

The resolution which was signed by both President and Secretary – General of the initiative, Mallam Mohammadu Ibrahim and Umar Faruk Mohammed respectively reminded the party leadership of ensuring all states that contributed to the landslide victory of the party in the just concluded election are carried along to sustain party unity and strengthen the nation’s democracy.

They warned of the implication of marginalizing the North East geo political zone in the zoning of offices particularly in the National Assembly, adding the North East zone as it is presently constituted boasts of highly trusted and brilliant parliamentarian who can hold their own any day and who can provide the needed leadership to propel the Senate to viable heights.

“The 7th National Assembly no doubt will be more vibrant and highly versatile and we want to make it abundantly clear that senators from the North East zone would be the cynosure of all eyes as their output in the red chamber would no doubt inspire legislative progress in the interest of the nation,” it stated.

HADI called on the PDP's leadership and President Goodluck Jonathan to handle this issue with caution and equity and called on those insisting that the Senate presidency should remain in the North Central zone to have a rethink.

"Nigeria is a Federation and the more we allow other zones have their good hands fill sensitive national positions the better for the country," the group stated.

They are correct!

ok. I thought people were making noise here that south east is the biggest loser in this whole power sharing game and i said we are not. Yes we lost the speakership but the north remains the biggest loser in the whole game. I pity Jonathan and the problem he will face if this sharing is not properly done because even the people who did not vote overwhelmtingly  will still repeat the same thing if election is done again weather he gives them greater share or not. And by the time he loses his support base he is a goner.

alexleo:

ok. I thought people were making noise here that south east is the biggest loser in this whole power sharing game and i said we are not. Yes we lost the speakership but the north remains the biggest loser in the whole game. I pity Jonathan and the problem he will face if this sharing is not properly done because even the people who did not vote overwhelmtingly  will still repeat the same thing if election is done again weather he gives them greater share or not. And by the time he loses his support base he is a goner.

Why do you guys keep talking like this ? What is this obsession with ascribing  the "biggest loser" tag to one region or the other ? If you all see what needs to be seen plus know the reality on the ground in Nigeria and are thinking logically then you will understand that the North is not the "biggest loser" neither is it the SE, SS or SW .

If SE Governors perform well and development is tangible then that is what matters. Ditto for all other regions also . This di.ck comparison shyte is getting childish . Regions are not "winners" or "losers" based on the number of silly positions they have gained that , in reality , the PDP uses to enslave Nigeria while enriching a select few in the "inner circle". I would gladly accept the tag of "loser" for the SW if there is accelerated development everywhere instead of being praised a "winner" (because of a PDP SW speaker) while poverty, infrastructural decay, insecurity, poor healthcare and grossly inadequate educational provision is the lot of the people on the ground who are too concerned with the 'hard life' to even have the time or money for silly internet chest-thumping.

i tot i heard that zoning was dead during the elections so why is it coming up again?

The truth is that what PDP did is totally unfair. I'll wait to see how many regions they hold on to in 2015.

Maybe the demise of PDP is near.

Obiagu1:

The truth is that what PDP did is totally unfair. I'll wait to see how many regions they hold on to in 2015.

Maybe the demise of PDP is near.

There is nothing fair in politics.

Weak Jonathan listened to OBJ who brings nothing. He can't even win his own region and expects to be rewarded.

EzeUche_:

There is nothing fair in politics.

Weak Jonathan listened to OBJ who brings nothing. He can't even win his own region and expects to be rewarded.

Agreed, nothing is fair in politics but for a party to systematically plot their own demise is what I'm trying to figure out.
OBJ cannot win votes for the PDP in the SW, yet Jonathan and PDP NWC listened to him.

I keep asking :- WHY WAS POSITION OF THE SPEAKER ZONED TO THE SOUTH-WEST WHEN THEY DID NOT VOTE FOR PDP. Even as a south-westerner, I must say I am very surprise and disappointed at GEJ and PDP for such decision.

@OP

We in the SW do not want or care about the speaker seat. Please I am saying this so the South-easterners will not get the wrong idea. What SE should be looking at now is regional development.

Obiagu1:

The truth is that what PDP did is totally unfair. I'll wait to see how many regions they hold on to in 2015.

Maybe the demise of PDP is near.

When we were telling you not to vote for pdp, u said u are only voting for GEJ

Just keep whining till 2015

@gbawe and step 1. Thank u very much and God bless u. This has been my stand on This issue but because of the much noise made about this losing thing thats why i had to bring out this other angle of it.

step1:

I keep asking :- WHY WAS POSITION OF THE SPEAKER ZONED TO THE SOUTH-WEST WHEN THEY DID NOT VOTE FOR PDP. Even as a south-westerner, I must say I am very surprise and disappointed at GEJ and PDP for such decision.

^
PDP is playing a long game. Keeping the speaker in the SW helps preserve the party base in the SW despite suffering a massive loss there. In terms of strategic thinking PDP is ahead of the opposition parties.

Gbawe:

If SE Governors perform well and development is tangible then that is what matters. Ditto for all other regions also . This di.ck comparison shyte is getting childish . Regions are not "winners" or "losers" based on the number of silly positions they have gained that , in reality , the PDP uses to enslave Nigeria while enriching a select few in the "inner circle". I would gladly accept the tag of "loser" for the SW if there is accelerated development everywhere instead of being praised a "winner" (because of a PDP SW speaker) while poverty, infrastructural decay, insecurity, poor healthcare and grossly inadequate educational provision is the lot of the people on the ground who are too concerned with the 'hard life' to even have the time or money for silly internet chest-thumping.

^
Sir, yours is one of the few sane voices amidst the mass hysteria of "zoning". Instead of holding the various governors (who are much more powerful, and are the key to development as exemplified by Fashola & Amaechi etc) accountable; Nigerians are once again playing the fools by obsessing over who gets what; when the truth is that the positions in contention have actual little power when compared to the powerful executive positions of President and Governor. Whoever is Speaker should not stop any serious governor from developing his state.

alexleo:

@gbawe and step 1. Thank u very much and God bless u. This has been my stand on This issue but because of the much noise made about this losing thing thats why i had to bring out this other angle of it.

My friend , ignore the noisemakers on the net. Most of them are the actual "losers" who can only claim victory through group/regional achievement. IMO , it is acceptable to be called a loser , based on PDP positions not gained, if I am the one living in a developing environment that affords me and others a dignified existence.

Others are free to bask in their meaningless "winner" tag , because of PDP positions gained, only to go home to underdevelopment, insecurity and squalid poverty that debases humanity. Let some folks keep celebrating what is hollow. Some people are simply not bright enough to understand that , in a federal arrangement, the Senate President or Speaker cannot legislate for regions only. They must legislate for all Nigeria .

The hope , instead of all the "winner" or  "loser" distraction, is that Nigerians would have been sophisticated enough to understand that gaining a decent Senate President , regardless of region of origin, is paramount above everything else. As it is , the NC may consider themselves winners because their "son" (David mark) is likely to gain another tenure as senate President. I  must ask "what are they , or any sensible Nigerian , celebrating" considering what we have seen of Mark's leadership of the Senate in the last four year? It was under David Mark , because of sheer legislative indolence and regressive activities, that the entire world began to talk[b] loudly [/b]about the "best paid yet worst performing legislators in the world" .

We may have all had our fun after the elections but it is now time for everyone to move on and face the task of holding leaders accountable. As far as important legislative appointment are concerned, we are all losers if the status quo remains that of rewarding pro-establishment 'tools' (David Mark, Ekweremadu, Bankole et al) who keep things "business as usual" for the small percentage of those who deem themselves "owners of Nigeria" while ordinary Nigerians , by far in the majority[b] and from every region[/b] , gain absolutely nothing .

Zoning the speaker to the SW is one thing and keeping it there another

i rather have fashola or his like as my state governor than ve one dunce from my state as either d president, vp,sp or the speaker of d lower house of assembly who will nt touch d lives of his people as a unit talkless of the lives of all Nigerians. D practice of true federalism is the only way out but we desipate so much energy developing concepts that enshrines backwardness. D educated old generations brought this stagnation on Nigeria and the educated young Nigerians are not only dumb but also constipated psychologicaly dat they are doing exactly the samething d older generations did that kept us were we are rather than charting a way forward that will take this country to greater hieghts. U guys shld Keep playing tribal politics and expect development in Nigeria. Its painfull but dats d reality on ground.

I dey laff