Criticism has emerged from some members of the House of Representatives regarding the proposed zoning formula for leadership in the 10th National Assembly, put forth by governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) submitted a memo to President-elect Bola Tinubu, recommending that the Senate President position be zoned to either the South-east or South-south regions and the Speaker of the House of Representatives position be zoned to either the North-west or North-central regions, while the deputy speakership should be zoned to South-east or South-south.
However, lawmakers Akin Alabi and Rolland Igbakpa criticized the proposal, stating that it may not be easy for the ruling party to zone principal positions to the Northern region, given that President-elect Tinubu and his Vice, Kashim Shettima, ran on a Muslim/Muslim ticket.
The lawmakers expressed their opinions during a Twitter Space discussion, titled “How should 10th National Assembly Leadership be zoned?” Mr. Alabi questioned whether the ruling APC “can afford” to zone the Senate President to a Muslim candidate, as it may raise questions and spark controversy.
Meanwhile, Mr. Igbakpa recommended that lawmakers from the South-east be considered for the National Assembly leadership positions, as people from the region believe they are being sidelined in national politics.
