10th Assembly: APC Will Retain Akpabio, Abbas As Senate President, Speaker Designates

A meeting of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, appeared to have reaffirmed the choice of Godswill Akpabio and Tajudeen Abbas as Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives designates for the 10th Assembly, THE WHISTLER has learnt.

The party had two weeks ago announced the former Akwa Ibom State Governor, Akpabio and ranking House member from Kaduna State, Abbas as its choice for the upper and lower houses.

Despite ongoing agitations by other aspirants and political leaders from the North for new zoning arrangements, the party would retain the duo and their deputies.

It was gathered that there was a consideration of federal character when a review was made after the announcement.

This was to assuage the feelings in the North that four of the key positions in the country – President, Senate President and Chief Justice of Nigeria – are in the south.

While Bola Tinubu is the President-elect, Akpabio is Senate President designate and Olukayode Ariwoola, is the Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN.

One of the outspoken opponents of the zoning announced by the party and an aspirant for the position of the Senate president, Abdul-Azeez Yari, who was governor of Zamfara State echoed the anti-north sentiment on Tuesday when he said it’s unfair for the south to control the three of the four top positions.

Yari said, “APC has zoned and now we are asking them questions: On what basis? Have you taken into cognizance the federal character?

”The president, chief justice of the federation and national assembly chairman –all the three arms of government — are in one place?

“The chief justice is from Oyo state, Tinubu is from Lagos State, and Akpabio is from Akwa Ibom, all at the same time. And the next chief justice is also going to be from the south-west,” he said.

But finding by this paper showed that this is a repeat of what transpired in the Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Despite southern and middle Belt protests, Ahmad Lawan (Yobe) emerged as the Senate President in 2019 just as Muhammad Tanko (Bauchi), emerged the chief justice of Nigeria.

The justification was that all three individuals were from different zones.

It was learnt when the attention of the president-elect was drawn to that as well as the leadership of the APC, it did little to dissuade them in order to engineer new zoning arrangements.

Instead the APC also believes there is a precedent and that this “is a child of necessity because the CJN was appointed by Buhari after Tanko left but Buhari saw the emergence of Lawan and appointment of Tanko knowing it was concentration of power in one area,” a member of the APC said.

Walter Onnoghen from Cross River State was the CJN when several allegations of corruption were levelled against him, forcing him to exit.

Although there were reports that he was forced to leave in order for him not to set up the committees to handle election petitions before the tribunal after the 2019 elections as he was deemed pro-PDP.

A source explained that Yari’s position was briefly considered but not formally when the APC leadership met with APC Senators-elect on Tuesday.

The meeting also had in attendance the party’s choices for the national assembly leadership.

The APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, appeared to have poured cold water on any change to the zoning arrangement, advising the senators-elect especially those pencilled down for the principal positions to arrive early to avoid a coup like the 2015 coup.

The eventual winner of the race, Bukola Saraki, had teamed up with the PDP and won the election against the anointed candidate from the Adams Oshiomhole-led APC.

The arrangement also saw the emergence of a PDP senator, Ike Ekweremadu, as the deputy Senate president.

Adamu said those who have been chosen for the leadership positions must learn from that experience and turn up in time to avoid re-occurrence.

He said, “I’m happy that we are heeding the advice and directives we gave to make consultations and it is good that is going on and I’m happy that it has been very fruitful.

“We wait till the third of June on the floor of the house. I want us to have a rancour-free election on the floor. Because even if everybody says it is Akpabio or Y or X, the rules of the game say there must be an election,” he said.

He stressed that, “Those who are in the senate are aware of the rules. On the day of the proclamation, the president and the clerk make the proclamation. So I do hope and pray that we will carry the day and be victorious.”

He then warned, “But let me warn you, don’t be late. I hope I am communicating. Don’t be late. Once bitten twice shy.”

Akpabio, who spoke on behalf of his colleagues said, “I want to appeal through you that you talk to some members of APC who have still not supported the party’s decision,” he said.

“When I was young I was told about three Gs to fear. One is God, then the gun and the government. Both the Bible and the Quran asked us to respect leadership because that is the only way to progress. We urge you to talk to them because that’s the only way to progress.

“We have interacted with the governor of Lagos, Katsina and even Rivers state governor to tell them about our plans and policies.”