Ex-legislators caution against excluding North-Central from NASS leadership

By EricJames Ochigbo

A forum of former House of Representatives lawmakers, has cautioned against excluding the North-Central from leadership positions of the 10th Assembly.

The spokesman for the forum Mr Muhammed Yahusa said this at a news conference on Sunday in Abuja.
“Reports reaching us indicate that the position of Senate President of the 10th National Assembly, has been zoned to the South-South, while the Deputy Senate President will go to the North-West,” he said.
He said that the forum also learnt that the Speakership of the House of Representatives had also been zoned to the North-West, while the Deputy Speakership was still being considered.

“We find it unimaginable that anybody would even mute the idea of handing over two key positions in the National Assembly hierarchy to one zone, given the much the President-elect had invested to convince Nigerians that he will be fair to all.

“We note that if the APC goes ahead with the position of zoning the Senate Presidency to the South-South and both the Deputy Senate Presidency and Speakership to the North-West, it will only succeed in sending the message to the North-Central.

“The message is that it considers it a second class enclave which has no stake in the country and that all its labour and contribution to the success of the party at the general elections are not only taken for granted but not appreciated.

“This, we believe, will be a costly mistake as it would create a feeling of discrimination on regional basis which could fundamentally threaten the unity of our dear party and country,” he said.

He said that the North-Central had contributed immensely to the success of the APC since 2015.

He said that with the exception of Plateau, the North-Central delivered all its states for the APC in the 2023 general election while the North-West only delivered two out of the seven.

The forum urged the President-elect, Sen. Bola Tinubu to intervene and ensure justice and equity for North-Central.

(NAN)