Tag Archives: zoning

House Crisis: Reps Adopt APC’s Zoning Formular

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A make or mar meeting between opposing factions of All Progressives Congress members in the House of Representatives, ended early Tuesday with the two sides adopting an earlier directive from the APC leadership on the zoning of key leadership positions.

The party had zoned the positions in a letter to the speaker, Yakubu Dogara, on June 23.

In the letter, the party presented Femi Gbajabiamila (South-West) as the house leader; Ado Doguwa (North-West) as deputy leader; Mohammed Monguno (North-East) as chief whip; and Pally Iriase (South South) as deputy chief whip.

The letter from the APC was in response to the lingering leadership crisis that has rocked the house since its inauguration June 9.

Mr. Dogara rejected the nominations, and suggested other candidates for the offices.

But at Monday’s meeting, at the behest of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Dogara faction and the APC leadership agreed the letter from the party be respected.

Read More: premiumtimesng

APC Denies Zoning Of Senate President To North-Central

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APC has denied a published report that its National Working Committee (NWC) met on Monday night and decided to zone the Senate Presidency to the North-Central and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the South-West, saying nothing like
that ever happened.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by its National Secretary, Hon. Mai Mala Buni, the party said it was deeply embarrassed by the story, which was apparently planted in the media to sow the seeds of instability in the party.

”The NWC never discussed the issued of zoning at its meeting.

Therefore, the report of its decision on zoning is a figment of the imagination of whoever concocted the story,” it said.

APC said nothing has changed since the President-elect said he is ready to work with anyone from any part of the country who occupies any of the principal offices of the incoming National Assembly, including those of the Senate Presidency and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Credit: vanguardngr

APC Does Not Believe In Zoning, Says Tinubu

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Former Lagos State Governor, Ahmed Tinubu, has disclosed that the All Progressives Congress does not believe in Zoning when it comes to sharing of political office.

He further states that Nigerians should look forward to the incoming APC-led administration and the time has come for change.

Tinubu was briefing reporters at the Benin Airport about the sharing of the political offices. It is now time for progress, Tinubu stated.

Read More: DailyIndependent

 

I Won’t Discriminate Against South-east, Says Buhari

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Promises fairness to every section as zone demands SGF, House of Reps presiding officer.

The President-elect, Gen Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday assured that he will not discriminate against the South-East or any other section of the country, saying Nigeria is his constituency.

He also promised to look into the demands of the South-East caucus of the All Progressives Congress(APC) handed to him recently .

Gen Buhari spoke when he met with the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Caretaker Committee led by its Chairman, Chief Ralph  Obioha. Other members of the delegation include former Anambra State governor, Sen.
Chris Ngige, former Managing Director of Nigerian Breweries, Eze Festus Odimegwu, Chief Onwuka Ukwa, Osita Okechukwu and Anike Nwoga .

Dismissing fears that his incoming administration may work against sections of the country that didn’t vote for him in the last polls, the President-elect said he will fulfil the promise he made during the campaigns to treat every Nigerian equally.

He commended some South-East leaders who, he said, stood for the truth and ensured that residents of the area were fed with the truth.

In his address, Obioha thanked Gen. Buhari for his promise to run  a competent and corruption-free government.

He described as false claims that South-East did not vote for Buhari. According to him, if the Card Reader was allowed to work in the zone, Nigerians would have known that the zone was for APC .

The Ohanaeze caretaker committee boss singled out Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, Sen Ngige and Governor Rochas Okorocha for praise, describing the trio as wise men. Apart from the three, Obioha listed prominent Igbo leaders like former Abia State governor, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, Odimegwu as those who worked for the APC candidate.

He said: “We are only a representative delegation and on behalf of the whole house, we wish to mention the outstanding, extra efforts and contributions of H.E Orji Uzor Kalu, Sen Jen Nnamani, Chief Emeka Okwosa, Eze Festus Odimegwu, Chief Enechi Onyia, Sen Offia Nwali and Chief Onwuka Ukwa .

“The three wise men from the South-East, Governor Rochas Okorocha, Ogbonnaya Onu and Chris Ngige are our illustrious sons.

“Your Excellency, as the head of the APC leadership, you are aware that the South-East was a target by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rigging machine which produced an election result that denied the zone of even a single senator and only three non-ranking members of the House. Ndigbo request that you adopt the principle of necessity to give the zone the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF)which is your prerogative and in addition, a position of one presiding officer in the House of Representatives “.

Also speaking, Eze Odimegwu thanked Gen Buhari for nominating him into the Transition Committee even when he had not met him before. He said it was a sign that the incoming government will pay attention to merit than other considerations.

Meanwhile, Ngige has dismissed insinuation that the South-East APC caucus was fighting over the SGF slot that is likely to be zoned to the region. He said the zone is working together, disclosing that the caucus’ decision on that will be made known soon.

He said: “We have a caucus, we have a position, when we get to the bridge, we cross it.”

APC Senators May Dump Zoning Of Senate Presidency

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Senators elected under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) may dump the zoning arrangement of the party in the selection of the next Senate President.

The senators have vowed to go against the party’s wish if the zoning arrangement will not guarantee fairness and justice.

Senator Ahmad Sani, Senate Deputy Minority Leader, who spoke on behalf of some senators, stated that if the party does not zone the seat correctly, the senators may defy it and vote the right candidate.

He stated that the senators have the right to vote for the best candidate that they think will lead them more properly and more efficiently.

He noted that National Assembly was now made up of more independent minded individuals who hold national interests above that of the party.

Read More: NationalMirror

Zoning Rips APC Leaders Apart

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Leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, may have realized that some blessings, despite their salacious nature come with daunting challenges as they move to take one of the first major decisions since its victory against the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the just concluded national elections.

The decision to allocate positions to different geopolitical zones may be one of the party’s first litmus test. Most analysts have avowed that care must be taken as political stakeholders are waiting on the crossroad for the party’s first unbiased decision. Many are of the views that an equitable and unbiased zoning will further boost Nigerians’ confidence on the APC led government.

Read More: http://dailypost.ng/2015/04/30/zoning-tears-apc-apart/

APC Leaders Ready For Crucial Meeting Over Zoning Of Key National Appointments

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Some leaders and elders of the All Progressives Congress will on Wednesday hold a crucial meeting in Abuja to review the party’s performance in the just-concluded general elections.

The National Chairman of the party, John Oyegun, confirmed the meeting in a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday. He said the party would hold its National Executive Committee meeting next week.

Mr. Oyegun, a former governor of Edo State, refused to disclose the specific agenda of Wednesday’s meeting, which some believe was convened to consider the zoning of the office of the Senate President and that of the Speaker of the House of Representatives. He merely said “we are still looking at all options,” when asked what the party was doing about zoning of the National Assembly leadership positions.

There has been anxiety in the polity over which of the geo-political zones would produce the two presiding officers and their deputies following inability of the APC contestants in the South East to win a single seat in the March 28 National Assembly elections. All 15 senatorial seats and 43 House seats in the zone were won by the Peoples Democratic Party.

The APC had originally planned to zone the Senate Presidency or the office of Speaker to the South East, comprising Anambra, Abia, Ebonyi, Imo and Enugu since its presidential candidate and now president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, is from the North West zone and his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, from the South West zone.

Read More: premiumtimesng

APC Zoning: Igbos Not Worried About Being Left Out

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Former Anambra State governor, Chukwuemeka Ezeife has said the people of the Southeast region are not worried about the zoning policy of the All Progressives Congress (APC) which has allegedly ensured that no one from the region would hold a top office in the National Assembly.

Although the APC had denied it had zoned any positions, there have been indications in recent weeks that APC had zoned the office of Senate President to the North-Central with Senators Bukola Saraki and George Akume as the major contenders.

Other principal positions in the two chambers are being contested by the North-East, North-West and South-West. The South-South, which only has one returning member to the House of Representatives, is also angling for the office of Deputy Speaker. But the South-East, which has no returning member of APC in the Senate and the House of Representatives, has allegedly been completely left out of any of the principal officers’ positions.

However, Ezeife said: “I do not see anything wrong with what APC had done.

“What the party has done is in line with their convention. I do not see any reason why people should be worried about the fate of the Igbo.

“We are not worried. Only those who do not see us as people of destiny are worried. However, there are lessons to be learned from the outcome of things. But we are not worried because lessons have been learned,” he said.

Kwankwaso Advises APC Over Zoning Policy

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Kano State governor and Senator-elect, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has cautioned the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against further delays in the zoning of federal elected offices.

He said that was the mistake made by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in 2011 which resulted in the obstruction of the zoning arrangement and the crisis that affected the party.

The governor who spoke with newsmen in Abuja, said “my advice to my party is that they should quickly do it. Those of us who witnessed what happened in 2011, I don’t believe that that party should waste any more time. Because the implication of delay is that the people in some zones will go round the country mobilising support for themselves and if the zoning decides to come late they will be so strong in their campaign such that they can disobey the party just as we saw during the Tambuwal case in 2011.

“Tambuwal went round, we gave him our words that we will support him and when the zoning came late we had already committed ourselves and the party at the end of the day was humiliated because many of us didn’t want to change our position as we had already promised to support him.

“Things were not the same again in the PDP. I believe that the man who got the ticket got more appreciation from the opposition rather than those in the party who supported him. I don’t want us to repeat that mistake again. I think it is high time we finished the zoning so that anybody can aspire to become whatever is being zoned to his place,” he added.

Kwankwaso also underscored the need for fairness in the zoning arrangement, noting that all zones must be represented. “This is one of the mistakes of the PDP where they decided to lump so many good positions in a zone while others had close to nothing. And I think that has gone along way in killing the party. This country belongs to all of us,” he further stated.”

Commenting on the series of defections that have been witnessed in recent weeks, Kwankwaso said it was usual for many people to leave the party that lost for a party that won.

“In politics there are various groups, first class people who can take calculated risks, work hard to chart new way to bring new changes. Others will seat on the fence and see where the trend is and then falling in line and go by the side of success. Others head or tail will remain where they are.

“In fact the middle one are the majority looking round to see where the success is and move into it. I am not surprised many people are joining us now. We are happy,” he added.