10th NASS: APC support groups oppose zoning formula, seek re-election of Lawan as Senate President
The National Coalition of APC Support Groups has said that the planned zoning formula is unnecessary and have asked for the re-election of the current Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.
The demand follows an agreement between the governors of the All Progressives Congress and the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, to let the party leadership to cooperate with lawmakers without creating a leadership crisis in the 10th National Assembly.
Tinubu, who spoke on Thursday, had advised Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Hope Uzodimma (Imo), and others to permit the main offices to be zoned rather than manually selecting people who would agree on everything.
The NCASG, however, expressed significant opposition to the zoning formula’s implementation, claiming that it might lead to discord and anarchy in the Senate.
Yahaya Jarabu, the group’s chairman, told journalists in Abuja that four years after its inauguration, the ninth Senate has undergone some kind of amazing progress under Lawan leadership.
He said, “We strongly disagree with the desire of the Progressive Governors Forum to adopt a zoning formula for making the next President of the Senate. We are calling on the members of the National Assembly and other critical stakeholders to enable the incumbent President of the Senate Ahmad Ibrahim Lawan to continue steering the affairs of the Senate.
“This is in recognition of his sterling qualities and other unique attributes. Senate President under Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan, the 9th Senate was inaugurated four years ago with support from the members of the red chamber.
“Therefore, his re-election as the Senate President will sustain the tempo of integrity and avoid a repeat of the past assembly experience of rancour. We are calling on the APC national chairman and the president-elect including PMB to look into sustainable development and allow Senator Ahmed Lawan to continue as Senate president of the 10th Assembly.
“We must not also fail to mention that the Senate under Ahmed Ibrahim Lawan has so far been transparent and accountable by promoting the peaceful coexistence of Nigerians without discrimination of gender, religion or tribal differences in accessing the dividend of democracy through constitutional and electoral act amendments.”
