I Expected APC To Have Learnt From PDP – Ningi Comments On Zoning Arrangement

Former Deputy Majority Leader of the Senate and senator-elect for Bauchi Central, Abdul Ahmed Ningi, has expressed disappointment in the All Progressive Congress (APC) over its zoning arrangement.

According to him, even though he does not belong to the ruling APC, he expects that the party should have taken cues from his party, the Peoples democratic Party (PDP) over impposing leaders on the National Assembly.

Naija News recounts that the APC leadership zoned the Senate President and the Deputy Senate President seats to Senator Godswill Akpabio and Senator Jibrin Barau respectively, while member-elect representing Kaduna, Tajudeen Abbas, was picked as Speaker, and the member-elect from South East, Benjamin Kalu, clinched the Deputy Speaker slot.

However, aspirants like Senators Abdulaziz Yari, (Zamfara West); Osita Izunaso (Imo West), and Orji Kalu ( Abia North) vying for the position of the Senate President have insisted that they would not step down for the party’s consensus candidate.

Ningi, who is the Deputy Director General of Yari’s campaign team, however said its rather unfortunate the APC have not taken cues from the PDP concerning imposition of leaders and consequences.

He said they should allow for the independence of the legislature to prevail in the incoming 10th National Assembly.

Speaking about the support his camp has gained, Ningi said no fewer than 67 of his colleagues have thrown their weight behind the aspiration of Orji Uzor Kalu and Abdulaziz Yari to emerge as presiding officers of the Senate

He said key contenders for the senate presidency like Sani Musa, Osita Izunaso, Orji Uzor Kalu and Yari are together and that discussions were ongoing among them.

He said: “Our latest count was 67, as of yesterday (Tuesday) night and more are still coming. Those who are talking about money politics should remember how they won their party primaries about six months ago from top to bottom, using money. When Senator Ndume made that statement, I actually was taken aback because he is experienced to know that there is no politics that money is not involved, but it is not the most critical. In this campaign, it is not about money, especially for our candidate. Sen Sani Musa, Senator Izunaso, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and Yari are together and discussions are still ongoing. We know our strategy, but we are not going to disclose that.

  “I don’t belong to the APC, but I thought the APC would have learned a lot from the mistakes of the PDP with regards to imposing leaders on the National Assembly. They should allow for the independence of the legislature.”