APC says Presidency yet to be zoned to the south

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) says it has not decided to zone the presidency to the southern part of the country.

APC said that issues relating to zoning of the exalted seat of president of the country and key elective positions of the party would be handled by President Muhammadu Buhari in consultation with the governors and other major stakeholders.

Secretary to the APC National Caretaker Committee, Senator John James Akpanudoedehe, made the clarification while refuting report in a section of the media, highlighting the zoning arrangement of all elective positions of the party.

“People who are interested in running for one office or the other can speculate. As far as I am concerned, at the last caretaker committee meeting we had, we did not discuss that. That is not what we are concerned with now. What we are concerned with is data collection, how to collect data without making mistakes.

“We are not going to be pressured into doing some things based on sentiment and end up doing the wrong thing. Let me say that zoning is not for the caretaker committee alone. It has to do with President Buhari, it has to do with other major stakeholders.

“I mute the speculation. The list is not from us (Caretaker Committee). The President is not in town. There is no way such decision will be taken without consulting with the President, the governors and other major stakeholders. People should disregard the list. We are focused on delivering our mandate and we are to do it rightly,” Akpanudoedehe said.

The report had presented the zoning arrangement as President (South); Vice president (North); Senate president (South); Deputy senate president (North); House of Reps Speaker (North) and Deputy House of Reps speaker (South), among others.