10th NASS: Leadership Crisis Deepens As North Central Govs Reject Tinubu’s Candidates

Governors in the North Central geopolitical zone have appealed to the All Progressives Congress (APC) to review its zoning arrangement for the leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly.

The APC and President-elect Bola Tinubu had listed Senators Godswill Akpabio from the South-South (Akwa-Ibom) and Barau Jibrin from the North-West (Kano) as preferred candidates for Senate President and deputy respectively.

In the House of Representatives, the party endorsed Tajudeen Abbas from the North-West (Kaduna) as the Speaker and Benjamin Kalu from the South-East (Abia) as deputy.

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The chief executives of states in the North Central resolved to meet with the President-elect and the APC National Chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, for possible reconsideration of the zoning template.

They took the decision after hours of deliberations on the issue at a meeting of their caucus in Abuja on Monday night.

The governors said they backed the position of the North Central senators-elect, who had earlier demanded that the zone be allowed to produce a deputy senate president.

The resolution was signed by the attendees including, Abubakar Sani Bello Governor Niger State & Chairman, North Central Governors Forum.

Others are: Governors Simon Lalong (Plateau); Abdulrahaman Abdulrazaq (Kwara); Abdullahi Sule, (Nasarawa); Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia, Governor-elect, (Benue); Senator Mohammed Sani Musa; (Aspirant); Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives (Aspirant), and Yusuf Gagdi, Reps Member (Aspirant).

The resolution, made available to journalists, read: “The meeting reviewed the proposed zoning structure released, and promised to reach out to the President-elect His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and APC National Working Committee to appeal for reconsideration of the zoning of the presiding offices of the National Assembly as released by the NWC.

“The meeting discussed the zoning as released and raised reservation with the allocation of the positions of the Deputy Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 10th National Assembly to a particular geopolitical zone of the country.

“The meeting resolved and agreed to fully utilize all necessary dialogue and consultations to resolving the NASS leadership issue, they all agreed to reach out to all major stakeholders for an amicable and acceptable zoning framework that will be all-inclusive.

“The Governors agreed with the aspirants’ positions and appealed to all senators and members-elect to continue to give Mr President-elect all the support needed for the smooth take-up of the 10th National Assembly, while also furthering consultations.”

The North Central is the only geopolitical zone that had been completely left out in the 10th National Assembly leadership positions announced last week.

APC National Chairman had said the party may consider reviewing the zoning formula following the outrage it generated.