EKO HOT BLOG reports that President-elect Bola Tinubu is scheduled to meet with members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) National Working Committee (NWC) and aspirants vying for leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly.
This comes amidst reports of some aspirants rejecting the zoning formula recently released by the ruling party’s leadership on May 28.
The APC NWC had previously announced its selection of Godswill Akpabio (Akwa-Ibom/South-South) for the position of Senate President, Jibrin Barau (Kano/North-West) as Deputy Senate President, Tajudeen Abbas (Kaduna/North-West) for Speaker of the House of Representatives, and Benjamin Kalu (Abia/South-East) as Deputy Speaker.
An anonymous aide to the President-elect revealed to The Punch on Saturday that Tinubu would convene a meeting with the APC NWC members and all aspirants on Sunday. The objective of the meeting is to address the tensions arising from the party’s endorsement of specific candidates.
During the meeting, Tinubu may either support the current sharing formula for leadership positions in the National Assembly or call for a review of the zoning arrangement.
In a related development, APC Chairman Abdullahi Adamu reportedly urged Tinubu to return to the country as his absence was said to be weakening his influence in the ongoing jostle for leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly.
A source familiar with the matter stated, “Abdullahi Adamu sent a message to him (Tinubu) on Thursday night, expressing concerns that he was losing control of the protests against the zoning issue, particularly after Gbajabiamila reported the outcome of his meeting with the elected Representatives at Transcorp.
It is worth noting that the meeting was attended by fewer than 80 Representatives out of the 113 who had supposedly endorsed Gbajabiamila. Additionally, some unscrupulous Representatives allegedly added fake signatures.”
Adamu’s message to Tinubu follows recent protests by aspirants in the Senate and the House of Representatives at the APC National Headquarters. During the protests, it was conveyed that a review of the zoning plan would be postponed until Tinubu’s return to the country.
The meetings scheduled with Tinubu hold significant importance as the APC seeks to address the concerns of aspirants and manage the ongoing contest for leadership positions in the 10th National Assembly.
The outcomes of these discussions are expected to shape the party’s approach and bring clarity to the zoning arrangement.
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