APC’s Zoning Agreement Should Be Respected In 2023 – Fashola
NOVEMBER 25, 2020 AT 5:21:07 AM

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The Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, yesterday said the zoning agreement at the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2015 elections should be respected in 2023.

Fashola, a former governor of Lagos State made the statement yesterday at a time reports that some of the chieftains of the APC were allegedly plotting to thwart the arrangement for power shift between North and South, intending to retain the presidency in the North on the expiration of President Muhammadu Buhari’s second term.

The latest crisis rocking the ruling party, according to party sources was as a result of the quest by respective blocs to grab the soul of the party ahead of 2023 politicking.


The minister in an interactive session with newsmen at his ministry in Abuja, yesterday, appealed to leaders of the party to respect the gentleman agreement reached in 2015 on zoning.

It would be recalled that the APC was formed in 2013 following the merger of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and new PDP.

Fashola while responding to a question on zoning, said, “The truth is that what makes an agreement spectacular is the honour in which it is made not whether it is written. If it was written, there would be no court cases of breach of contract because it is a document that is written and signed that go to court. But the private agreement you make with your brother and sister should not be breached, it must be honoured.

“All political parties are clubs where you write agreements just like a social club and we can decide that it is the youngest person who will be the chairman of the club or we can decide that it is the oldest person or the next female or the next male that is the matter of agreement between people,” he said.

On whether he has 2023 presidential or vice-presidential ambition, Fashola said, “I belong to a party, the APC, and I am committed to good governance because I think the best politics is good governance.

“The beauty of it for me is the opportunity it gives to impact peoples’ lives. We have elections only once in four years, but we have a responsibility to provide good governance every day and that’s the culture,” he said.

The minister also said the APC would retain the presidency in 2023 if it delivered on its campaign promises to Nigerians.

“To retain power in 2023, certainly if we keep our promises, is that simple. That’s politics. If you do what you said you will do even if you don’t do it 100% and they see that you are making progress, they will even want you to finish what you started.

“Our opposition has to think well than us to defeat us; right now they are not doing that. When it’s election time they should come and meet us,” he said.

He appealed to APC stalwarts to give members of the Governor Mai Mala Buni-led Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee the needed support to enable them to succeed on their mandate.

“If there is a crisis that has now led us to have a caretaker committee, we must also respect the committee, let it do its job.

“Those of us who didn’t contest to hold party offices let’s focus on our jobs too and stop bashing in each other’s room. So, every support that the Caretaker Committee requires we will provide if it’s within our reach to do so.

“So let’s support them to achieve the immediate mandate of their responsibility and they brought some stability. At least, we won an election,” he said.

Contacted, a chieftain of the party who was part of the formation of the APC said there was an understanding that the presidency should rotate between the North and the South.

The party stalwart who does not want to be named, said, “I think at that time there was an understanding that the presidency would be produced by the North and later South and Southwest in particular.

“This is something I need to check, there are different models in parties. There were private discussions during the negotiation for the merger between ACN, CPC and new PDP before APC was born.

“It could be at that time that discussion like who would produce the president, chairman and what would happen next. So, I need to make a further check. I believe it not a signed agreement per se. I would like to go back from the convention of ACN, CPC and ANPP,” he said.

There was no official comment from the APC yesterday, but a senior official said considering so many issues at the moment, it was too early to start talking about who gets what.

“Just like what Fashola said, I think the most important thing for now is for all members and leaders of the APC to support the Mai Mala committee to succeed in its onerous task of uniting the party. Members of the committee should be encouraged to go ahead with membership registration and bringing back members that left including new people.

“By the time we put our house together and with the support of our members, leaders and elders of the party would unravel the zoning formula that will be acceptable to all Nigerians,” he said.

https://dailytrust.com/apcs-zoning-agreement-should-be-respected-in-2023-fashola

Hahahahaha this Tinubu house boy dey talk about 2023, he never see the end of 2020 finish dey talk of 2023,

Kingscee:

Please equity demands that South Eastern Nigeria should be given a chance.

Nobody owns the country, we need to save the kingdom first before asking for spoils, what has been our progress since the 2015 till date if the so called merger had all the round pegs in round holes?

2023 should be zoned to the SE on various platforms to see if there could be headway from an angle we have not tried before. They have patiently supported all regions both good and terrible on being military heads, Presidents and VP's for minimum of 8years and above.

2023 truly would be a defining moment for the SE however the pendulum swings.

The South East politicians will be scammed.

Tinubu is coming...




Thread seen..

So there is zoning agreement ?

It's funny that yorubas who have been president and vice president for 16 years since 1999 are the one crying for presidency to be zoned to them

If there is anything zoning it should go to south east ... outside south east let everyone contest

Who cares

2023 ,zoning , presidency and Yorubas can't be in the same statement and u shout for justice

Tinubu can never be president

Foolish man

Say no to Tinubu Say No To Osinbade
Say no to Afonja president.

At least not again.

Obasanjo messed this country up

Yenefer:
Please equity demands that South Eastern Nigeria should be given a chance.

Ona sure say na this girl talk this one? Like she was in her right senses when she talk am?

Mumu politicians, country that is in a mess right now, instead of you guy's to think on how to get Nigeria out of this situation, 2023 is more important to him than delivering on their campaign. How Fashola became useless is beyond me .after all the giants stride he achieved in Lagos, the man is now a shadow of himself.

MORONS THEY ARE FIGHTING FOR 2023 THAT MOST OF THEM WILL NOT SEE,

They see the masses they are toying with their brain.

OK we shall see if there would be anything like APC by 2023.

These S.west politicians are really greedy o...... 2023 presidential ticket is coming to S.east whether they like it or not.

Some people just realised that there's a party called apc after voting pdp all their lives, these people are not even fighting for ticket in PDP but they want apc to give them what they don't deserve

We should give an Igbo or Benin or Calabar or other south south but never a fulani or yoruba again

Hmmm

Fashola no suppose shaleye too much, the North won't keep the power, they need the country together,The power won't go to the east, They are too small and tiny to even be noticed.

So because the party was majorly founded by both Tinubu and Buhari, that means it's the Southwest turn to produce presidency? Have they forgotten Ogbonnaya Onu, Rochas Okorocha were also part of the founders. Is it because they don't command so much influence in the southeast that means their people should never be considered for presidency?
Okay now, flex on!! Injustice anywhere is injustice everywhere.
We later proclaim to the world 'Nigeria is a unified nation' everybody in the world knows Nigeria's unity is extremely fragile. We love to deceive ourselves with the sense of oneness whereas our politics is extremely divisive and clearly sectional. The good thing about it is that world doesn't take our 'One Nigeria' seriously. It's a huge joke to them

marsman:
Fashola no suppose shaleye too much, the North won't keep the power, they need the country together,The power won't go to the east, They are too small and tiny to even be noticed.

But u're already feeling insecure because of them.... They are too small and yet u're talking about them.. Lol

He should focus on his ministry and do the work he was appointed to do first.

I have said it before and am saying it again,it will be difficult for core North to support a southern muslim for president.unless he want to run on a muslim/muslim ticket which will be difficult in today Nigeria.Chibuike Amechi its the best bet for south to win presidency

Bendeco2020:
These S.west politicians are really greedy o...... 2023 presidential ticket is coming to S.east whether they like it or not.

Greedy? So u want them to allow you take what they worked for?

Yenefer:
Please equity demands that South Eastern Nigeria should be given a chance.

Yes I support this.. Let's see what they have to offer.. As long as he is correct upstairs


Not all these old cargoes romancing Pdp and apc

tamdun:

Greedy? So u want them to allow you take what they worked for?

Go and stop them from giving it to S.east and stop making noise here.