By Akombo Aondona, Abuja
National Chairman, All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen Abdullahi Adamu, has dismissed insinuations that the party is engulfed in a seething crisis over zoning the leadership positions in the incoming 10th National Assembly.
Addressing journalists on Wednesday 3 May 2023 after a National Working Committee (NWC) meeting of the party at the APC National Secretariat, Abuja Adamu said: “After four hours of deliberation, we are more united than we have ever been. The meeting was not about zoning. When we do the zoning meeting we will not just go alone as a party. Zoning will take along the President- Elect, Senator Ahmed Tinubu. He travelled after the election and he came back only last week and we have to carry him along. We cannot stop those who are ambitious or zonal interest or even individual interest. And as long as that is there we have to find a persuasive way, persuasive manner of reaching some level of consensus. That is what we are working on. It’s not a one-day affair”.
In the same vein, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Barr Felix Morka said: “Amongst all of the issues discussed at the meeting, we look at some internal and domestic, house-keeping matters with a colleague that you know who has expressed his concerns about something he believes the party should be doing. We deliberated completely about it. And as we speak, a committee that was set up to complete that conversation is in progress right now. So, there is a meeting that is going on that I am supposed to be part of to fully ratify that discussion and offer final recommendations on that subject.”
Morka continued: “But I am happy to report as the chairman just indicated that the party stands completely united behind the leadership of his excellency, the national chairman of our party. And we are all standing together. Our colleague who has concerns, they are being looked into. And I think in due course, we will very specific conclusions. “We are not wasting time on zoning out the National Assembly leadership. There is no timeline to do so. The zoning is something that the party does. It is a mechanism by which the party is able to make decisions and afford those who are interested in competing for power in the leadership of the 10th National Assembly to do so with a minimum rift and rancour. To do so peacefully and seamlessly. So there is no timeline to that. We are not in a hurry. We want to do it right. The chairman just said this required very exhaustive consultation not just of the leadership of the party but also of those who are aspiring. So, that whatever the party comes up with, by way of formula will be acceptable with minimum friction. It is important that the consultation is done and it done properly. That is what is going on right now.”
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