JUST IN: 10th NASS Leadership: APC Bows To Pressure, Makes U-Turn Over Zoning, Says We Didn’t Consult Widely
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Abdullahi Adamu, has admitted that the leadership of the party didn’t make adequate consultations before zoning the leadership positions of the National Assembly.
On May 8, the leadership of the party announced a former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, and Jibrin Barau as the anointed candidates for the President and Deputy President of the Senate of the 10th National Assembly.
The party had also announced Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu as the nominated candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
The decision elicited protests from the aspirants and stakeholders of the party who claimed they were not consulted.
Speaking while receiving a letter of protest from some of the aggrieved aspirants for the Senate Presidency, Mr Adamu said the party would go back to the drawing board to correct any perceived lopsidedness.
Mr Adamu said: “As chairman of the APC and members of the National Working Committee, we take responsibility. As chairman, I take responsibility for what has gone on air.
“Yes, there were no sufficient consultations with you who are contesting and it is a simple principle of democracy that you get views and opinions.
“But, the circumstances that we found ourselves in after the elections frustrated our desire.
“We must, as Democrats, open up. We will go back to the drawing board. We owe our party that duty to take a look whether what was done can be changed; what was done needs some changes or reviews.
“So, hold the fire until the last word is heard from us. We are the custodians of the party as NWC but we are not acting alone.
“The voice of the president-elect is an essential voice. We must accommodate him, the best we can. I will not compromise on that.
“So, he [Tinubu] is right now outside the country and by the grace of God when he comes back, we will go back to the drawing board and put our heads together again and see what we will get.
“I cannot preempt that. I will wait until we hold that meeting with Mr President-elect, the same team that we had the same meeting with”.
