APC Zones Senate Presidency To North East, Akume, Saraki Lost Out
Hopes by Senate Minority Leader Senator George Akume, Senator Bukola Saraki and other senators from the North central zone becoming Senate President may have been dashed.
This follows the formal adoption of a zoning of principal offices in the senate by the leadership of All Progressives’ Congress (APC).
The adoption coincided with a visit by APC caucus to President-elect General Muhammadu Buhari.on Friday in Abuja to appeal to him to intervene in the rat race by APC legislators for positions in the incoming National Assembly.
Under the adopted arrangement, the North east is to produce the Senate President, the North central shall produce the deputy Senate President and deputy Leader, House of Representatives.
However, the party leadership insisted that aspirants to offices in the National Assembly be persons with
‘Integrity and legislative experience.” Also listed as a condition was ranking.
In addition to producing the Senate President, the arrangement cedes the position of party National Secretary and Chairman, Board of Trustees to the North east.
The South west, according to the proposal, in addition to the position of Vice President, will produce the Speaker, House of Representatives and deputy Senate Leader.
The North west which already has President-elect Buhari is expected to produce the Senate Leader, deputy House Speaker as well as its Whip.
The South south zone, the party leaders proposed, will in addition to the national chairman produce the House Whip as well as the deputy Senate Whip.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) and Secretary of the Board of Trustees (BoT) have been reserved for the South east making it the only zone without a principal officer in the incoming National Assembly.
