Defying Zoning Politics: Opposition Lawmakers Aim To Challenge APC For National Assembly Leadership

• Opposition lawmakers from seven political parties intend to contest for the office of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker in the 10th National Assembly.

• The lawmakers, under the aegis of a minority caucus, noted that their intention was stirred following their numerical strength of 182, and their decision was reached at an emergency meeting held on Thursday night.

• The minority caucus has insisted that the ruling party should not force zoning on all members-elect.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that lawmakers elected on the platform of seven opposition parties in the House of Representatives on Thursday announced their intention to contest for the office of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker in the 10th National Assembly.

The lawmakers under the aegis of a minority caucus with the maxim “The Greater Majority” noted that its intention was stirred following its numerical strength.

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The decision was reached at an emergency meeting of the minority caucus leadership held at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja Thursday night.

The spokesman of the caucus, Victor Adam Ogene in a statement said the outcome of last Saturday’s supplementary elections shows that the minority caucus has risen to 182, one vote more than the statutory benchmark required to elect a Speaker.

Ogene further stated that there are prospects of gaining more members from the system.

He said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should not force zoning on all member-elect.

The statement reads, “Besides the issue of ranking, every member is entitled to run for the office of Speaker, regardless of political party affiliation.

“The All Progressives Congress, APC, or indeed, any political party for that matter, reserves the right to regale itself with talks about micro-zoning leadership positions in the National Assembly. But the overriding question remains, are such fanciful engagements binding of the generality of Members-Elect? The answer today, tomorrow – and until our current constitution is altered to reflect that desire – is a big No.

“Issues surrounding this all-important question is easily resolved, in the case of the House of Representatives, by Section 50(1)(b), to wit:” There shall be a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.

“While zoning is permitted, as an intra-party solution to the sharing of political offices, seeking to enforce such on the generality of members would be tantamount to affronting Section 50 of the Nigerian constitution.

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“Besides, political parties must not always use the National Assembly as guinea pigs for their zoning fancies. Why didn’t these governors summon the same courage, which they currently seek to flaunt, during the presidential primaries, by micro-zoning the presidency to a particular zone? If it was okay to say that the presidential ticket should go to the South, then I think they ought to follow through with that same template and propose, for instance, that the Speakership should go to the North.”

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