APC to set up committee on sharing formula

• NWC yet to meet after general elections, says party spokesman
There is a strong indication that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (NWC) may set up a committee to look into how the six geo-political zones would have a sense of belonging in the sharing of public offices ahead of the next appointments into the federal cabinet and the election of principal officers for the National Assembly.

The committee is expected to fashion out modalities for a sharing formula that will take the interest of all the six geopolitical zones in the country into considerations of public offices. The strategy behind the plan is to avoid the repetition of what happened after APC won and formed government in 2015 when some geo-political zones complained of being marginalised in public appointments and elected offices under President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Guardian reliably gathered that the NWC might inaugurate the committee any moment next week as soon as the National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, who is currently out of town, returns to the country over the weekend, just as it is being said that the presidency has mandated that the committee must complete its assignment before May 29.

One of the hints is that the much-debated position of Speaker of the House of Representatives, which was initially expected to go to the Southwest, may now be conceded to North Central and probably to a Christian. The consideration is that Buhari is from Northwest and is a Muslim while there is the possibility that the incoming Senate President, may also be a Muslim and probably from North East.

According to the source, in order to keep the present status quo where the president and the senate president are Muslims and the Speaker a Christian, the party may have concluded to consider a Christian from the North Central as speaker. Although, initial permutation of speakership favours incumbent Majority Leader of the House, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, who is from the Southwest, but his being a Muslim and closeness to the National Leader, Bola Tinubu, may have changed the equation.

Another factor that might have necessitated the need for such committee bothers on the special interest the presidency is now showing on who becomes what in the National Assembly, contrary to Buhari’s previous nonchalant attitude in 2015 and the damaging consequences of such indifference.

It was also leant that the party may concede the position of Senate Leader to the South-South while the Southeast is likely to get the post of Deputy Speaker if the arrangement works out. A senator from Edo State is being penciled for the senate leader.

The committee is also expected to advise the government on the zoning formula for appointments into the federal cabinet with special consideration to avoid the type of criticisms Buhari encountered after forming his cabinet in 2015. The Southeast, South-South and some regions in the north were practically miffed by the president’s last appointments and consequently raised the alarm of being maliciously marginalised.

A source in the party said President Buhari is particularly concerned this time and has advised Oshiomhole to ensure the committee perfects its work as he (Buhari) is now ready to run an all inclusive government. National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Lanre Isa-Onilu, could not confirm the development, saying the NWC is yet to sit after the general election let alone discuss setting up such committee.