₦airaland Forum

By Shola Oyeyipo in Abuja




A coalition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) youth groups under the umbrella of North-Central APC Young Patriots has vowed to resist any attempt by the leadership of the party to zone the speakership of the House of Representatives to the South-west region.

Addressing journalists Saturday at the Stone Edge Hotel, Abuja, the coalition’s leader and convener, APC Young Patriot, Mr. Dominic Alancha, said though the party is yet to officially announce the zoning to the South-west, it should not take such decision to avoid a situation where the anointed candidates of the party lose key leadership positions in the 8th assembly.

According to him, “If the party goes ahead to zone the position of the Speaker to the South-west because it wants to foist a particular candidate on lawmakers disregarding popular support and equitable zoning formula, it will be shortchanging the North-central of its hard-earned right and this will be resisted by this group.”

Stressing that the motto of APC is justice, peace and unity, Alancha said: “One would expect that since the Senate Presidency was zoned to the North-east being the zone that contributed the highest number of votes after the North-west (3,238,783), the Speakership position will naturally go to the next in line-the North-central zone who produced the second largest vote after the North-east (2,465,599). So, why is the party suddenly shifting the goalpost when it comes to zoning the Speakership position by considering the South-west that performed less than the North-central and even already has the number two position of a vice-president? ls this an equitable thing to do?”

Querying how the party hopes to engender party loyalty and supremacy without an equitable zoning arrangement, the APC loyalist insisted that the North-central parades qualified lawmakers who can effectively lead the green chamber.

“One of such persons is the current Deputy Majority Leader, Hon Ahmed ldris Wase, who is the most ranking North-central member having returned to the House for the fourth term,” stressing that: “Hon Wase is a true leader who has the unique ability to carry his colleagues along, protect the interest of the party, and possess the political sagacity to build bi-partisan consensus when needed. He is very much popular and loved by his colleagues who rally around him for true leadership.”

Asked how the group intends to ‘resist’ the party in case the position is zoned to the South-west, he said: “We hope to do that through advocacy. We are going to meet members-elect. We are going to reach out to party leaders to ensure that this crisis is not created by zoning it (Speakership) away from us.

Seun360:
Speaker should go to the South East.

hucienda:
They've already started fighting themselves.

The SW APC have to look at the end game here.

They already have the VP slot in the south, they are still gunning for the No. 4 slot - not minding what their fellow party men & women, and the average generality of the folks from the other two zones in the south of Nigeria think. Those zones hold nothing in the current political arrangement - of both, the SS deserves it more politically speaking.

The SW APC have to control their political greed else it could backfire spectacularly in their faces when they go for the No. 1 slot in four years.

Wisdom is profitable to direct.

Herdsmen:
Both lawan and Gbaja ain't getting nothing...

The heat is on tinubu..

He can be Lord of the west.. Nigeria is bigger than west...

May 29.. is just around

HopeAtHand:
They have a point. Yoruba's can't have VP slot and Speaker. Others should enjoy also

checkolatunji:
President comes from where? SP will come from where? You just want to pour out that hatred in your heart

kinibigdeal:
Dogora will keep that seat

Seun360:
Speaker should go to the South East.

hucienda:
They've already started fighting themselves.

The SW APC have to look at the end game here.

They already have the VP slot in the south, they are still gunning for the No. 4 slot - not minding what their fellow party men & women, and the average generality of the folks from the other two zones in the south of Nigeria think. Those zones hold nothing in the current political arrangement - of both, the SS deserves it more politically speaking.

The SW APC have to control their political greed else it could backfire spectacularly in their faces when they go for the No. 1 slot in four years.

Per the issue at hand, do not be surprised if/when a northerner gets it eventually at the commencement of the 9th National Assembly and in four years, the north continues in Aso Rock. The political south just needs to get their act together.

Wisdom is profitable to direct.

Sinner1:
south east don't need the speaker, it is the Senate president or 2023 presidency.

Herdsmen:
Both lawan and Gbaja ain't getting nothing...

The heat is on tinubu..

He can be Lord of the west.. Nigeria is bigger than west...

May 29.. is just around

LazyGold:
When South West have nothing during GEJ tenure no one cry oh

LazyGold:
When South West have nothing during GEJ tenure no one cry oh