Former members of the House of Representatives from the North Central geo-political zone of Nigeria on Sunday outrightly rejected the alleged zoning of the speakership position to the North West saying it is reprehensible.
TheNewsGuru .com, (TNG) reports this position was taken after a meeting of major critical stakeholders under the plank of former House of Representatives declaring in their communique that:
“Our forum considers this position said to have been taken by leaders of the APC as utterly reprehensible and totally unacceptable because of the bad blood and acrimony it is capable of generating among the different zones in the country due to its lopsidedness and total insensitivity to the wellbeing and total disregard to others.
“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.
Leader of the Forum, Hon Yahuza Yakubu further explained that:
“We wish to state without equivocation, that the issue we are addressing here has been carefully considered and treated with all sense of responsibility, while the position we have taken on the matter is in the best interest of the incoming administration of H.E Sen Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and for the greater good of our dear country, Nigeria.
“Having served as federal legislators at various times and contributed immensely to the development of Nigeria and its democracy, we consider it pertinent to continue on the path of offering wise counsels and to intervene whenever we see that the ship of our country appears to be going adrift.
“As responsible citizens we cannot fold our arms and watch when a major decision capable of fundamentally affecting our dear nation negatively and setting it on the path towards increased suspicion and bitter acrimony is being contemplated.
THE CRUX OF THE MATTER
“After waiting several weeks for the President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and other key stakeholders to guide the present crop of elected federal legislators on the zoning of leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly in order to avoid acrimony and rancor, the forum notes that the principles of equity, justice and fairness which should have guided such processes may not have been explored.
“Rather than dwell on a template to promote unity and fairness for national cohesion, the forum observed that what is emerging is an odious stench of bias and lopsidedness that should not even be contemplated in a democracy.
“Reports reaching us indicate that the position of Senate President in the 10th National Assembly, has been zoned to the South-South geopolitical zone, while the position of Deputy Senate President would go to the North-West zone.
“We noted that when this position was made public, stakeholders across the country accepted it with equanimity and calmness due to its inclusion of other zones not yet captured in the top hierarchy of governance in the next administration.
“But to our utter shock and consternation, we learnt that the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives has again also been zoned to the North-West while the position of Deputy Speaker is still being considered.
OUR POSITION
“The forum considers this position said to have been taken by leaders of the APC as utterly reprehensible and totally unacceptable because of the bad blood and acrimony it is capable of generating among the different zones in the country due to its lopsidedness and total insensitivity to the wellbeing and total disregard to others.
“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.
“Much as the President-elect is known as a democrat, the forum is of the opinion that the APC will be hard put to explain to Nigerians how some zones would be totally excluded from governance while some are given more than their fair share if this lopsided template of giving the Deputy Senate Presidency and Speakership to the North-west is implemented.
“The forum recalls that it was not for nothing that a tapestry for inclusion was crafted since the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999 which accommodates all the six geopolitical zones in governance such that the four principal positions in the National Assembly are shared among the zones other than the zones the president and vice president hail from.
“This, we observed, has served to extirpate suspicion of bias and regional acrimony and has helped to deepen democracy and promote unity and national cohesion over the years.
“We note though there may have been some differences along the line, but these are considered as aberrations that need to be corrected by any administration that prides itself as just and fair.
“Therefore, the incoming administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which prides itself as the face of a new Nigeria cannot afford to toe the line of insensitivity as it needs to ensure balance and inclusiveness for all the zones in the country.
“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 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 country.
“Perhaps it will be well at this point to remind the President-elect that the North-Central gave him the highest percentage of votes in the last presidential elections over and above all the zones in the country except the South-west where he comes from.
“A quick check of the overall percentage of the votes polled by each zone in the last presidential elections would reveal that while the North-central gave the APC presidential ticket 41 percent of its total votes, the Northwest came third with the 39 percent it gave the President-elect.
“Worse still, out of seven states, the APC presidential candidate won only in three states of the North-west losing significant numbers in swing states like Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi and Katsina while in the North-central, he won overwhelmingly in its swing states of Niger, Benue and Kogi.
“Most worrisome is the fact that it is Kaduna State, where the APC performed woefully by losing the three Senate seats and 11 of the 16 House of Representatives seats that is being considered for the Speaker position.
“We consider this as not just as slight to the North Central but an insult to our collective struggles which must readily and urgently be addressed.
OUR DEMAND
“We therefore demand that while the position of the Senate President can be given to the South for religious balancing and the North-west the Deputy Senate President, that the North Central must be given its due share in the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.
“We ask that since the North Central gave the President-elect the highest percentage number of votes apart from the South-west, that it should be given the Speakership of the 10th Assembly.
“This would come as the fair and just thing to do since the zone has never occupied the seat of Speaker since the return of democracy in 1999 while the Northwest has held it for 12 good years!
“We know that the President-elect having fought for the return of democracy to Nigeria and had served as a senator and state governor is a thorough democrat, hence it behoves on him to take steps that will preserve and deepen our democracy by ensuring inclusiveness in his administration.
“The North Central can boast of an array of experienced and ranking members who when given the opportunity, can preside excellently over the House of Representatives and ensure quality legislation for the good governance of Nigeria.
“We call on the President-elect not to go according to the plan by a few selfish individuals to patronize their cronies but to administer justice and equity to all so that his administration can start on a sound footing.
“We also call on our party elders from the zone including the national chairman of the party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu; governors; former national chairmen, former governors; former Senate President; ministers, former ministers and other stakeholders to add their voices to the demand for justice to the zone as their continuous silence will only aggravate the intended marginalization of the North Central zone.
