APC Governors Set For Showdown With Reps-elect Over National Assembly Leadership

APC

Governors and governors-elect of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are set for a showdown with party members elected into the 8th National Assembly over their insistence on the zoning of the principal offices in the House of Representatives, Vanguard reports.

The stance of the governors is reportedly stoking tension among the stakeholders of the party. They are reported to be trying to use their loyal associates in the outgoing House to also amend the House Rules to compel the voting for presiding officers to be in the open, as a way of forcing their position through.

The members have, however, vowed to frustrate the amendments to ensure that the provision for secret voting that was adopted in the days leading to the emergence of Aminu Waziri Tambuwal is retained.

A recent disclaimer by president-elect Muhammadu Buhari that he was not committed to any of the candidates aspiring to leadership positions in the National Assembly, as against rumours in some quarters, has emboldened everyone interested in the major positions in the Ntional Assembly to push further.

“What the governors are doing is to go against the wishes of the president-elect for an open and democratic process but we are determined to stop them,” Vanguard quoted a supporter of one the popular candidates to have said.

A returning member was also quoted to have said: “What we want is for the process to be taken to the floor and let the most popular candidate emerge, but some of the governors are now openly saying that they would not allow that. Is that fair?”