The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, has requested protesting aspirants for the position of Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives to be patient and allow the party’s leadership more time to consider their grievances.
Bellnewsonline.com reports that the six aggrieved aspirants, led by Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase, visited the APC’s national secretariat to express their disappointment with the party’s leadership for releasing a zoning arrangement earlier this week.
The aspirants claimed that they were unhappy with the party’s decision to micro-zone the positions to specific individuals and urged the party to reconsider.
They warned that the APC’s leadership must avoid a recurrence of the situation that led to the emergence of Bukola Saraki as Senate President and Waziri Tambuwa, and threatened to sabotage the party.
Wase said: “As I speak to you, I want to say categorically that none of us here was approached or consulted even for a second to find our opinion and thought on what was going to be done or what has happened. First, we say on social media any plan could come up. Unfortunately, while watching television, we saw the spokesman of our party confirming that there was negotiation or consultation and that was why those lists were produced. It is unfortunate.
“This is a party that the crux is hope, is a party that have been leveraged to the country. This a party that we are expecting galvanising, us and bringing us into one entity called Nigeria to serve better.
“It’s never done anywhere. I say to him, you are misleading our leader, because the leader we know is not what you are trying to show and I am referring to the president-elect. I don’t want to believe this moment that the President-Elect is the one behind this. I don’t want to believe it.
“Why then are we having lopsided distribution? Is it because those of us from North Central are taken as slaves? Four years, is not too much let’s not destroy this party before we go into the next next election. We should build this party on the spirit and trust of equity distribution of resources. It is guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria.
“Even though you have said is not foreclose, the attempt now and the sell out now is that this is a foreclosed matter because it is also in the social media. We do not want a repeat what has happened in the past. We should not forget about the Tambuwalisation of what happened in the House of Representatives.
“We should not forget about emergence of how Bukola Saraki became the Senate President. The party as of today do not have the majority to be that arrogant, and we should take people for granted,” he warned.
Explaining the effort they have made to broker truce, Wase said: “I want to tell this congregation sir about what I asked the Speaker in one of our meetings with him. I asked him, what is making him think that what you have done will stand the test of time?
“It’s never done anywhere. I say to him, you are misleading our leader, because the leader we know is not what you are trying to show and I am referring to the president-elect. I don’t want to believe this moment that the President-Elect is the one behind this. I don’t want to believe it.
“Why then are we having lopsided distribution? Is it because those of us from North Central are taken as slaves? Four years, is not too much let’s not destroy this party before we go into the next next election. We should build this party on the spirit and trust of equity distribution of resources. It is guaranteed by the Constitution of Nigeria.
In response to the aspirants’ complaints, the APC’s chairman promised to review the decision that the National Working Committee (NWC) had made and conduct further consultations.
He said: “If I know something I know it better from your various presentations. As leaders of the party, you are part of people that elected us; we cannot but listen to you, we cannot but try to understand you, we cannot but try to live to the article of faith to our great party. We have listened to you, we don’t intend to open discussions right now with you as in respect of your submissions.
“Untill we agree we are going to change if we don’t agree we would not change. Like some of you who listened to a release from this office we did say very clearly, that we would endeavour to do more consultations so that we can carry along with us the greater number of the members of the great party.
“There is nothing we can do that may not be challenged here and there, but let us be able to attend the best possible to consult with people giving them their right of fair hearing before we can say yes we are changing positions or we are not changing positions. So, I want to thank you for coming. And you didn’t come with this kind “wuruwuru underground” but you choosed to come very openly, very straight broad daylight and I do hope this is a party and the stakeholding is more than the NWC here.
“Nigerians will hear better what we have just said. I plead with you in good conscience to give us a little time to take a good and better look at your presentation and open our ears and our eyes the more to hear more and see more before we can come with finality of your submission and the outcome of it. I thank you for your approach.
“Approximately important, you should know this is a party, you organise and you are here and you didn’t follow the backdoor to talk to us; you have come straight to us. I on behalf of my colleagues we appreciate you I want to assure you that God in his infinite mercy will guide us to ensure that we do what is acceptable for all,” he said.
Earlier this week, the APC had released a zoning arrangement for leadership in National Assembly, which included former Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Senator Goodwill Akpabio, as the next Senate President, and Senator Jubril Barau as Deputy Senate President.
In the Green Chamber, Abbas Tajudeen was announced as Speaker and Benjamin Kalu as the next Deputy Speaker. As a result of this decision, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, Senator Osita Izunaso, Senator Musa Sani, Hon Muktar Aliyu Betara, Hon Ado Doguwa, and several others vying for the top leadership positions in the Senate and House of Representatives may have lost out.
The sharing formula, as announced, excluded the North-central from any position, while the North-west was awarded the positions of Speaker and Deputy Senate President. This decision has however sparked controversy within the party.