By Nuel Suji, Abuja.
The National Executive Committee (APC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is expected to meet on Thursday to consider a report of the National Working Committee (NWC) on the zoning arrangement for the leadership of the National Assembly.
There are, however, fresh indications that an earlier zoning proposal from the NWC has generated suspicion and heated arguments among members.
Last Thursday, a five-man committee was empaneled by the NWC to fashion out the zoning sharing formulae for National Assembly positions. The committee later turned in its report to the National Chairman, John Oyegun on Thursday night. Another meeting was reportedly held in Oyegun’s house same night. The meeting was, however, unable to resolve the zoning arrangements.
But there are allegations and fear that the report submitted was doctored. A member of the NWC, who was privy to the parley disclosed that “the zoning formula in the public now did not emanate from the NWC.
“This is not 1993; the present realities do not support ceding the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the North alone. What we did was to cede the Senate President to the North east and the Speaker to the House of Representatives to South West.”
There are also allegations that “some members of the committee were compromised with $100,000 shared to influential members while less influential members got only $50,000,”
The allegation is reportedly being investigated by top party leaders. On Monday, the party’s spokesman, Alhaji Lai Mohammed urged Nigerians to disregard media reports about zoning of leadership offices in the National Assembly.
He said: “No appointments have been made and no offices have been zoned. The main concern of our party at the moment is to ensure a smooth transition and to hit the ground running, in the overall interest of the long-suffering people of Nigeria.
“At the appropriate time, Nigerians will be informed of the appointments made and the offices zoned.”
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