There are indications that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President-elect Bola Tinubu may choose a consensus Senate President and House Speaker for the 10th National Assembly.
WITHIN NIGERIA learned that this was part of the resolutions made at a stakeholders’ meeting held on Wednesday at the Defence House in Abuja on the zoning of the National Assembly principal offices.
Tinubu, Senator Kashim Shettima, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege, Speaker of the House of Representatives Femi Gbajabiamila, and Governor Abdulrasaq Abdulrahman of Kwara State were all present at the meeting.
Senator Abdullahi Adamu, National Chairman of the ruling APC; Senator Abubakar Kyari, Deputy National Chairman (North); Chief Emma Eneukwu, Deputy National Chairman (South); Senator Iyiola Omisore, National Secretary; and Yusuf Zailani, Speaker of the Kaduna House of Assembly, were also present.
A party source privy to the meeting told The Nation that consensus was proposed to avoid a rancorous contest and ensure unity and cohesion.
According to the source, the party leaders at the meeting were unanimous in their choice of the next chairman and deputy chairman of the National Assembly.
He said:
Consensus is being proposed to ensure that the contest is not acrimonious. APC does not want a situation where the race will lead to crisis.
The source also revealed that, because the President-elect and his deputy, Senatorial Kashim Shettima, are Muslims, the party leaders were leaning toward electing a Christian Senate President.
He stated that the APC leaders were in favor of an equitable distribution of the six principal offices in the Red and Green Chambers among the six geopolitical zones in order to promote inclusion and a sense of belonging.
Other offices include Deputy Senate President, Deputy Speaker, Senate Majority Leader, House Majority Leader, Chief Whips, and Deputy Chief Whips, in addition to the Senate President and House Speaker.
The source said:
The party noted the ambition of its senators and House members and contented that it is in order. The zoning of the Senate President was considered and there was the feeling that since the number one and two citizens are Muslims, the number three citizen should be a Christian.
He added that the party leaders decided that no zone would be left out of the distribution of the principal offices, and that the majority is in favor of the South-South producing the Senate President.
According to the source, the party noted that it has seven senators from the region, in addition to receiving significant votes during the election.
However, the source emphasized that Southeast, which produced six APC senators, had a strong case as well.
He added:
It was a lengthy deliberation. Party leaders favoured the zoning of the House Speaker to the Northwest, which gave the ruling party the highest number of votes during the elections.
There was also a consideration for the zoning of the Deputy Senate President to the Northcentral and the Deputy House Speaker to the South East. The belief of the party is that no zone should be left out.
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