APC agrees to distribute all principal offices within the senate among the six geo-political zones

ALL Progressives Congress (APC) leaders have indicated that the principal offices of the ninth senate will be distributed among senators from the six geo-political zones as part of a move to ensure fairness and inclusivity.

On May 29, the new senate will assume office, with its first role being to elect its principal officers. Already, it appears that the position of senate president has been zoned to the northeast with Yobe North Senatorial District lawmaker Senator Ahmad Lawan being the front runner for the job.

Several other northeast lawmakers including Ali Ndume from Borno South Senatorial District and Danjuma Goje from Gombe Central Senatorial District are also in the running. APC leaders have said they will name their favourites for the coveted offices after more consultations with the presidency and national leaders in order to ensure early rapprochement.

On Monday, APC chairman Adams Oshiomhole indicated that night, revealed that the outgoing senate leader, Senator Lawan, as the party's choice for senate president. It now appears that new week, when the party's national working committee meets, all the other zones will be allotted one principal office.

At the moment, party leaders have come up with a zoning formula that includes deputy senate president (south-south), senate leader (north-central), deputy senate leader (north-west), chief whip (southeast/southwest) and deputy chief whip (southwest/southeast). It is believed that there had been pressure on the party leadership to concede the chief whip position to the southeast for a reasonable power balance in the upper chamber.

Those lobbying for the southeast claimed that since the outgoing holder of the office of chief whip, Professor Olusola Adeyeye, is from the southeast, it will be fair to give the slot to the southeast. The party will, however, consult soon on the ranking senators that will occupy the remaining five principal offices.

One party source said: “We have tentatively agreed on how to zone the five remaining principal offices in the senate. The party leadership is still consulting with national leaders and senators-elect on how to fill these slots without acrimony in the APC caucus in the upper chamber.

“Depending on mutual agreement by stakeholders, we may still tinker with one or two offices. For instance, while the party favours the southwest for chief whip, some stakeholders have made a strong case that the slot should be for the southeast because the southwest had occupied it for the last four years."

Next week, the APC's NWC will also meet to deliberate on the matter of the speak of the House of Representatives. One party member said that the NWC will choose the next speaker and work out zoning modalities for all the offices.