By Adewale Momoh, Akure
The Chairman, South-West Governors’ Forum, and Governor of Ondo State, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has frowned at the zoning formula released a few days ago by the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as regards the leadership positions of the yet-to-be inaugurated 10th National Assembly.
Akeredolu, who described the move of the ruling party’s NWC as a skewed arrangement that reinforced injustice and inequity, stressed that individuals positioning themselves as cabals due to their close ties with the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, were behind the move.
APC had a few days ago zoned the positions of the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly to the South-South (Senator Godswill Akpabio) and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the North-West (Hon. Tajudeen Abass).
In a statement he personally signed and made available to The Guardian by his Chief Press Secretary, Richard Olatunde, the governor emphasized that the zoning arrangement which was designed to shortchange some particular zones will have adverse effects if not immediately reversed.
While maintaining that the north should be allowed to be actively involved in the emergence of those that will be occupying the positions, particularly the Speakership, Akeredolu also lashed out at the leadership of the party for ignoring the input of the Progressive Governors Forum.
Akeredolu, who is also the Chairman of the Southern Governors’ Forum, however, lauded the aspirants eyeing the Speakership position for their resilience and urged them not to back down.
He also called on the President-elect to urgently intervene in the situation and give a direction, adding that the NWC must summon the National Executive Committee (NEC) on the need to agree on terms that would strengthen the party.
