Lalong, North-Central Govs Tackle North-West Over National Assembly Positions

The battle for national assembly leadership positions for the 10th Assembly has taken a new twist as Plateau State Governor, Simon Lalong, alongside his counterparts in the Northcentral have taken exception to the positions allocated to the Northwest in the recent zoning arrangement of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.

Despite the allocation of the positions of the Deputy Senate president and Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Northwest remains aggrieved and has demanded for the positions of the Senate President and Deputy Speaker of the House.

Aspirants as well as political leaders including business and cultural groups rejected the two positions the zone got insisting that by contributing the second highest votes which led to the success of Bola Tinubu during the February 25 presidential election, it should take something bigger.

According to them, nothing but the Senate president can serve as compensation, especially as confining the Senate president to the South where the president is from would amount to over concentration of power and equity-deficit.

But the Northcentral being galvanised by Lalong and Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello, have risen in opposition to their Northwest counterpart saying by virtue of their contribution to the success of the APC, they deserve at least deputy Senate president.

By implication, the Northcentral has aligned with the zoning arrangement by conceding the post of the Senate president to the South.

At a meeting which ended late Monday night, the Lalong/Bello camp restated their commitment to the incoming administration of Bola Tinubu, stating strongly their opposition to the positions given to the Northwest.

They urged the APC and the President-elect to revisit the zoning in order to accommodate the Northcentral in the current arrangement.

In a communique signed by Bello, who doubles as the Chairman of North Central Governors Forum, they said, “The meeting resolved as follows: That the North Central as a geopolitical zone is fully committed to supporting the incoming administration of the President-Elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a better Nigeria.

“It will do everything possible to ensure the Renewed Hope agenda is actualised for the prosperity of all Nigerians.

“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 re-consideration 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.

“That 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,” it said.

The governors added that, “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 meeting will reconvene again to review issues “

Others who attended the meeting are, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq (Kwara State); Abdullahi Sule, (Nassarawa); Yahaya Bello (Kogi); Rev. Fr Hyacinth Alia, Governor-elect, (Benue); Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, APC, Niger East and an aspirant; Rt.Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives (Aspirant) and Yusuf Gagdi, Reps Member (Aspirant).