From Romanus Ugwu and Fred Itua, Abuja
More senators-elect across political divides, have registered their support for Abdulaziz Yari and Orji Uzor Kalu’s camp, ahead of the inauguration of the National Assembly next week Tuesday.
This is coming barely a day after Yari was received by former President Muhammadu Buhari in his home in Daura, Katsina State.
Last week, Kalu told newsmen that he had joined forces with Yari, towards achieving his political ambition, when the 10th National Assembly is inaugurated next week.
According to findings, no fewer than 22 senators-elect from various political parties and spreading across the six geopolitical zones, accompanied Yari to Daura to pay a congratulatory visit to the former President on his successful end of tenure.
Sources at the meeting, including an APC leader, hinted that Yari was received by Buhari and that at no point did he make any comment in disapproval of his guests in any manner.
Yari and his team, who told the former president they were in Daura to congratulate the former President and pray for his healthy life out of office, also assured him that they were working towards a cordial legislative/executive relationship under the new administration.
He added that they were not in confrontation with the executive, but committed to strengthening the legislative arm of government
“Senator Yari came with over 20 Senators-elect to visit President Buhari, to congratulate him for his successful tenure in office and pray for his good health.
“That gesture by Senator Yari demonstrates humility, reverence and love towards the former President, it shows his respect for elders and that is a mark of true statesmanship and leadership.
“The team were well-received by a very jovial former President Buhari. The meeting was very lively and the team assured the former President that they were not in confrontation but committed to strengthening the legislative arm of government. At no point did President Buhari make any comment in disapproval of his guests.”
•APC N’Central stakeholders insist on Speakership
Meanwhile, Zonal stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), under the umbrella of Concerned North Central APC Stakeholders Forum, have rejected the party’s zoning arrangement for the 10th National Assembly, on the zone getting Speakership position.
The stakeholders warned the party’s national leadership against insisting on the zoning arrangement earlier released, cautioning that the ruling party risks losing the ticket to the opposition parties should they go ahead with the arrangement.
Speaking at the press conference in Abuja, its convener, Revd. Dominic Alancha, threatened that North Central would withdraw their support for the ruling party in the 2027 general election if the party goes ahead with the micro-zoning arrangement.
“For an election that was concluded since February 25, ordinarily, the decision to zone National Assembly leadership positions should not have taken this long if due process, respect for order and egalitarian principles have been followed.
“I say this because it is the inexplicable and bias decision of the APC to ignore this sound and time tested processes by going to introduce strange and obtuse arrangements where a whole geopolitical zone was sidelined while another was given two key positions in the National Assembly hierarchy that has led to this quagmire,” the stakeholders noted.
“Zoning the position of Senate President in the 10th Assembly to the South-South geopolitical zone, and the position of Deputy Senate President to the North-West zone; while the position of the Speaker of the House of Representatives is also zoned to the North-West and the position of Deputy Speaker to the South East is unacceptable because it excluded the North Central from parliamentary leadership.
“We note the observation that the national chairman of our great party is from the North Central zone and with the appointment of George Akume as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), that the North Central has been compensated.
“The agitation today was because of the total exclusion of North Central. It is an aberration and unacceptable. If our people feel shortchanged, do you think they will support the party in 2027? It is unfortunate that our governors are nowhere to speak, the region is looking up to them. We are telling them the feelings of our people.”