N/West, S/West APC leaders find amicable resolution to Senate Presidency, Speakership logjam

Leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) drawn from the North West and South West geopolitical zones have come to an understanding on how to break the deadlock in deciding the leadership of the National Assembly.

According to a Daily Trust report, key APC leaders of the two zones met over the weekend to resolve the lingering controversy over zoning of key positions in the 8th National Assembly.

They agreed that the position of the Senate President should go to the North-east while the North-central should produce the Deputy Senate President with the Speaker of the House of Representatives for the South-west and that of the Deputy Speaker should go to the North-west.

The newspaper quoted a source as saying leaders from the zones took the decision in order to present a common ground to the party as it decides on the issue of zoning this week.

“It was done in order to strike a balance in both the Senate and the House so that other zones apart from the two zones which have the presidency and vice presidency can have the positions of the Senate President and Deputy Senate President”, the source said.

In the race for Senate President are: Bukola Saraki, George Akume and Abdullahi Adamu from the North central zone, Ahmed lawal, Mohammed Ali Ndume and Bukar Abba Ibrahim from the North-east while those in the race for speakership include Femi Gbajabiamila and Isaac Famurewa from the South-West and Abdulmumin Jibrin and Adams Jagaba from the North West and Yakubu Dogara from the North-east.

The report added that sequel to the decisions reached at the meeting, Jibrin has agreed to step down to support Gbajabiamila and a press conference would be addressed to that effect anytime soon.