10th Assembly: APC Takes Fresh Stand on Senate Presidency, Reveals Date for Zoning Declaration
- The conversation about who becomes the leader of the National Assembly has begun to take a flattering shape
- Sources reveal that the fate of all the aspirants will be decided this week as the All Progressive Congress (APC) will announce its zoning position
- The development means some aspirants would drop their ambition if the senate presidency is not zoned to their region
FCT, Abuja - Amid the heated pressure in the race for who becomes the next Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives of the incoming 10th National Assembly, the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) says the zoning decision will be announced this week.
As reported by The Nation, sources reveal that the zone from which the senate president will emerge is already on the card for consideration.
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The source revealed that all the aspirants have intensified their campaigns, with interest groups also trying to ensure their preferred candidates emerge victorious.
Who are the contenders
As reported by Vanguard, some of the major forerunners for the Senate Presidential seat include Ahmad Lawan (APC, Yobe North); Sani Musa (APC, Niger East); Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia North); Jibrin Barau (APC Kano North); Godswill Akpabio (APC, Akwa Ibom North-West); Deputy Senate leader, Abdul Ningi (APC, Bauchi Central) and Abdul- Aziz Yari (APC, Zamfara).
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Similarly, Governor David Umahi (APC, Ebonyi South) and former chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole (APC, Edo North), have also indicated an interest in the coveted seat at the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
The source said:
“APC will decide which zone they find most suitable to zone the post of Senate Presidency to.” According to him, APC will take a position before the clamour for the plum job degenerates to confusion and disagreement within the fold.
“You know that if we leave this zoning open for debates for too long, all kinds of interest will emerge, and there might be alliances that will not support the position of our party.
“We will therefore, move, latest by mid-week, to decide where the pendulum swings before there will be recourse to primordial sentiments such as religion and ethnicity.”
It was also gathered that the zoning decision could be based on the region that delivered the most during the just-concluded general elections, which puts the northwest on the card as a favourite to win the zoning tussle for the Senate Presidency seat.
The source added:
”The decision is most likely to tilt towards who brought what to the table, as there will be no jostling for positions if we did not win election.
"If it is going to be decided by the number of votes contributed, Northwest has the brightest chance. But, the party’s decision is final.”
APC zones Senate Presidency, Speaker positions? Fact finally emerges
Meanwhile, Ajibola Basiru, the spokesperson of the Senate, has dismissed the claim that the APC has zoned the Senate presidency and speaker to some regions of the country.
The senator representing Osun Central hinted that the ruling party would decide on the zoning issue as soon as Ramadan ends.
For the position of the Senate presidency and the speakership, at least nine candidates contest each post
Source: Legit.ng
