APC’s choice for National Assembly leadership supreme, says Nabena

• Party dismisses reports that S’East voted Atiku
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has stressed the need for its members in the Senate and House of Representatives to stand by its decision on zoning of principal offices in the incoming Ninth National Assembly.APC’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Yekini Nabena, who spoke to journalists yesterday, maintained that the party’s position remains supreme.

Some members of the National Assembly who desire positions had criticised the party’s decision to settle for Ahmed Lawan (North East) and Femi Gbajabiamila (South West) for Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives. Nabena also cautioned outgoing Senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, to steer clear of the leadership tussle in both legislative chambers.

He stated that the APC had learnt its lessons from the outgoing National Assembly “when impostors masquerading as party men sabotaged our party and hijacked our mandate.“Efforts by the Adams Oshiomhole leadership of APC are commendable in achieving a fair selection and zoning arrangement that appeals to a greater section of the party’s stakeholders.”

Besides, a group of former and serving members of the House of Representatives under the aegis of the Dean Faculty Body of Initiative has stressed the need to elect competent and acceptable principal officers for the Ninth National Assembly.

The group’s convener, Eyibo Eseme, noted that there was nothing wrong with zoning of principal offices of the National Assembly if it falls within provisions of the 1999 Constitution as amended.Meanwhile, the Conference of All Progressives Congress (APC) State Publicity
Secretaries (CAPS) in the Southeast zone yesterday dismissed insinuations that the zone voted Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar in the general elections.

It also endorsed the Speakership aspiration of Mrs. Nkiriuka Onyejeocha and asked APC’s leadership and members of the National Assembly to support her by zoning the position to the Southeast in the interest of fairness and gender mainstreaming.

Addressing reporters in Enugu, they stated that those suggesting that the zone voted Atiku were doing so to deny it opportunity of presenting candidates for the topmost offices and effectively participate in the coming dispensation from May this year.Spokesperson of the group and Anambra State Publicity Secretary, Okelo Madukife, and his colleagues from Abia, Benedict Godson, Mrs. Kate Offor (Enugu) and Nwoba Chika Nwoba (Ebonyi), insisted that the zone improved on its support for APC in the 2019 polls than in 2015.