10th NASS: Anxiety In APC As Members Lobby For Position

There is anxiety in the All Progressives Congress (APC) with the increasing numbers of lawmaker-elects contesting for positions in the 10th National Assembly.

Members of the ruling party elected into the National Assembly, ahead of their inauguration in June are jostling for Senate President and House of Representatives Speaker.

The National Working Committee (NWC) of the APC is worried about the struggle for the positions which may affect the plan to zone the offices.

Not less than eight senators-elect have expressed their intention to contest for the office of the Senate President.

They are Senate President Ahmad Lawan (Northeast), Senator Godswill Akpabio (Southsouth), Senator Barau Jibrin (Northwest), and Senator Ali Ndume (Northeast).

Others are Senator Sani Musa (Northcentral), Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Southeast), Ebonyi State Governor Dave Umahi (Southeast), and Senator Osita Izunaso (Southeast).

Aspirants for House Speaker include Deputy Speaker Idris Wase (Northcentral), Yusuf Gagdi (Northcentral), Abdulraheem Olawuyi (Kwara, Northcentral) and Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation, Aliyu Mukhtar Betara (Borno, Northeast).

Others are the Chairman of the House Committee on n Media and Public Affairs, Benjamin Kalu (Abia, Southeast), the Chairman of the House Committee on Land Transport, Tajudeen Abbas (Kaduna, Northwest), Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli (Katsina, Northwest), Abubakar Makki Yalleman (Jigawa, Northwest) and Usman Sani Jaji (Zamfara, Northwest).

In their quest to attain the positions, the lawmakers are obtaining endorsement from governors, monarchs, notable party leaders and several others.

Sources that spoke with The Nation disclosed that some APC lawmakers-elect have opened talks with their opposition counterparts.

Ndume who has expressed his intention to contest for Senate President has charged the party leadership to allow senators to pick their leaders instead of zoning.

According to the lawmaker, senators-elect should be allowed to choose their leaders themselves.

Ndume said, “The APC leadership did not take any position during the presidential primary. Aspirants from all geopolitical zones participated in the exercise.

“Senators should be allowed to choose a competent person among them that has adequate legislative and managerial experience to lead the Senate.

“Zoning may not lead to the emergence of the best person for the job. That is why the decision to choose the Senate presiding officers must be the sole responsibility of the senators.”

A source disclosed that other aspirants are waiting for the zoning arrangement of the party.

The source said Senator Sani Musa may opt for Deputy Senate President if the Senate President is not zoned to the Northcentral.

A source in Ndume’s camp also said he would consider the post of Senate Leader if the zoning formula does not favour the Northeast to produce the next Senate President.

The source said: “You know he is presently one of the most ranking APC senators-elect. Ordinary, the position of Senate President for him is supposed to be given if you follow parliamentary traditions in an advanced country.

“Don’t also forget that he was once a Senate Leader in the 8th Senate and he contested the position of Senate President against Lawan during the inauguration of the 9th National Assembly.”

Party sources hinted that the geo-political zone most likely to produce the next Senate President is the Southsouth.