APC approves inter-party lobby for NASS leadership race

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has succumbed to pressures to
shift out of the border of the ruling party to lobby members of other
political parties, negotiate and mobilise support for APC candidates
in the race for the Senate President and Speaker of the House of
Representatives in the Ninth National Assembly. The party leadership
on Sunday acknowledged that there is nothing wrong with APC members in
the National Assembly holding consultations with their colleagues in
other parties in the race for the Senate leadership and that of the
Speaker of the House.
APC national chairman, Adams Oshiomhole, had declared that the ruling
APC will not share power with any other political party in the
National Assembly. The national chairman threatened that the next
national assembly leadership would be winner-takes-all, which
attracted caustic criticisms even from APC members.
Certain APC members had expressed disaffection with Senator Ahmed
Lawan who declared that he would work with members of other political
parties as he deepens campaign for the Senate President. Ahmed was
cautious that if he restricts himself to the Oshiomhole
winner-takes-all doctrine, his main opponent, Senator Ali Ndume, may
take advantage of the vacuum created by undermining the Peoples
Democratic Party (PDP) and other party members in the Senate to
reinforce his camp and offset him in the presidential race.
APC in a statement on Sunday acknowledged that the decision of Senator
Ahmed Lawan was a normal democratic practice worldwide.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Lanre Issa-Onihu, in the statement
declared that the action of its members does not contradict the
party’s position as APC has the comfortable majority in both chambers
of the National Assembly.
Issa-Onihu also said that the zoning arrangement for the leadership of
the House of Representatives will soon be made known in the days to
come. The zoning of the senate is still generating controversy as
former Abia State Governor, Orji Uzor Kalu, insists that the deputy
senate president must be zoned to the south east.