…By Jack Sylva for TDPel Media.
President-elect Bola Tinubu is scheduled to hold a meeting with members of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and aspirants vying for leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly.
This development comes in response to the rejection of the zoning formula for the Assembly’s leadership positions by some of the aspirants, which was announced by the APC leadership on May 28.
The APC NWC had initially selected Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom/South-South) for the position of Senate President, Jibrin Barau (Kano/North-West) for Deputy Senate President, Tajudeen Abbas (Kaduna/North-West) for Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Benjamin Kalu (Abia/South-East) for Deputy Speaker.
An anonymous aide to the President-elect revealed that Tinubu would meet with the APC NWC members and all the aspirants on Sunday to address the tension created by the party’s endorsement of certain candidates.
During the meeting, Tinubu may either endorse the sharing formula for the Assembly’s leadership positions or request a review of the zoning arrangement.
According to sources, APC Chairman Abdullahi Adamu sent a message to Tinubu, urging him to return to the country as he was allegedly losing control over the leadership contest in the 10th National Assembly due to his absence.
It was reported that Adamu informed Tinubu that protests against the zoning issue were escalating, particularly after Femi Gbajabiamila, who attended a meeting at Transcorp, relayed the outcome of his encounter with elected Representatives.
However, it was noted that out of the 113 Representatives, less than 80 attended the meeting, with some even suspected of appending fake signatures.
Adamu’s message to Tinubu followed recent protests by aspirants in the Senate and the House, who separately voiced their concerns at the party’s National Headquarters.
They had requested a delay in the review of the zoning plan until Tinubu’s return to the country.