Ahead of the June 13 inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, there are indications that last week’s Paris, France meeting of the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the Presidential Candidate of the New Nigerian People’s Party, NNPP, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso may alter the zoning formula for presiding officers.

The zoning of presiding officers for the 10th National Assembly by the All Progressives Congress, APC, has generated heat within the party.

The APC had zoned the Senate Presidency to the South-South and the Speakership of the House of Representatives to the North-West.

The party also zoned the Deputy Senate Presidency to the North-West, and Deputy Speakership to the South-East.

Our reporter reliably informed that following agitations against the North-West producing two presiding offices, Kwankwaso urged Tinubu to revisit the zoning arrangement.

Tinubu and Kwankwaso had met in Paris, the capital of France, last week for talks.

Though details of the Paris meeting were not officially disclosed, multiple sources told Vanguard that the President-elect may have agreed to revisit the zoning formula put in place earlier by the party’s NWC.

A lawmaker-elect, who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity, said: “Our outing today at the APC headquarters was very encouraging and we are more determined to drive home our point that Tajudeen Abbas possesses the qualities to lead us.

“But there are several areas we need to straighten up if reports coming from the Defence House are anything to go by.

I mean the Task Force and Unity Group will still maintain the lead.

“For instance, since the meeting between the President-elect and Kwankwaso in Paris, there have been speculations that Governor Umar Ganduje of Kano State was angry. It was just this morning we were told why he was very livid.

“We were informed that one of the conditions Kwankwaso gave Tinubu was to take away the position of Deputy Senate President from Kano to the North-Central since there are serious agitations against having two presiding offices in one zone.

“It’s unfortunate that the President-elect accepted that suggestion and agreed to revisit the zoning formula put in place earlier. By implication, Senator Jibrin Barau will be sacrificed if the North-Central is now compensated with the Deputy Senate President position.

“We know it is Senator Sani Musa they are prodding but is it even beyond that because the reports from the Senator Yari camp are disturbing too. The man is well-equipped in terms of resources and mind you, he is not alone in the game to stop Godswill Akpabio. Senator Orji Uzor Kalu is there too.

“If it happens by mistake that Yari wins, our hurdles will increase because we cannot put the two presiding offices in the North and by implication, we will return to the all-Muslim angle we were running away from if we now insist on Abbas, another Muslim and a northerner.

“So, our plan now is to ensure we are in one accord to go into the chamber because we cannot say exactly what the chamber will dictate. But in case of any unexpected event, we will nominate a Southerner, who is a strong supporter of Abbas to take the chair of the lower chamber.

“We are not short of people, so, the opposition cannot take anything from us. We will go to the South-South and we have the likes of Professor Julius Ihonvbere, who is well respected by all. We can immediately put him forward to balance the whole thing as a Plan B.”

Abbas not yet Speaker, must undergo election — ADAMU

Meanwhile, the National Chairman of the APC, Abdullahi Adamu yesterday, cautioned members-elect in the Joint Task Committee against referring to the party-backed candidate, Tajudeen Abbas, as Speaker, saying he must go through an election to earn the title.

Adamu gave the warning when Abbas led his team of supporters under the aegis of the joint task committee, on a courtesy visit to the National Working Committee, NWC, in Abuja.

Addressing the delegation, Adamu said: “I want to make one correction so that we will not be misrepresented. Quite a number of you have referred to Abbas as the Speaker. Please, he is one of the aspirants. He will become Speaker on the day of the proclamation of the assembly. The laws guiding that office are very clear; he will earn that on the day of the proclamation by the President and Commander-in-Chief.

The Clerk to the National Assembly will conduct the election. There is no option other than the election. When he comes out of that election, they raise his hand and he is sworn in as the Speaker, that nomenclature becomes most appropriate. Wait. Continue doing your good work.

On his part, Abbas who thanked the party for choosing him and his colleagues, said they would do all within their powers “to protect the interest of the party, the government and the Nigerian populace.”

He urged Adamu to help convince other contestants to align with the position of the party.

Asked if he was aware of any plan to alter the zoning formula, Abbas said: “To the best of our knowledge, the party is resolute on its earlier decision, to sustain the announcement made earlier.” (Vanguard)

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