Some politicians of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the South East who campaigned to the electorate that the enthronement of their party at the centre would be of immense benefit to the region are on the verge of eating their words in shame as the political calculation being dished out by the party has left the region in the cold
By Chibuike Chiemerie
The meeting of the leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC with the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the National Secretariat in Abuja on April 25, 2023 is instructive especially to the APC stalwarts from the South East political region. At the meeting convened by the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, the body language of Tinubu was that he is not going to favour any region that did not contribute to his controversial victory at the polls which is vigorously being challenged at the Presidential Election Tribunal.
An informed insider at the meeting told Tentacle that the party hierarchies have zeroed in South South to produce the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly. And for the Speakership of the House of Representatives, North West has been penciled down for the job while North Central has been designated to occupy the position of the Deputy Speaker while Deputy Senate President would be going to the North East. According to the source, the decision was informed by the fact that these regions contributed immensely to the alleged flawed emergence of Tinubu as the President –elect, adding that it would amount to discouragement of hard work if position of the Senate President is ceded to the South East which according to them did not contribute anything in the victory of the party at the presidential poll.
Godswill Akpabio who is a core contestant for the position of Senate President from the South South was on the entourage of the party leaders who attended the meeting with Tinubu to fine-tune the zoning arrangement of the strategic positions at the 10th National Assembly. The media had been replete with the campaign of Akpabio as the anointed Senate President in the forthcoming National Assembly, and his spin doctors are not resting on their oars in making sure that the South East region is shut out of the race with the mantra that they did not bring anything to the table to the making of Tinubu’s impending presidency.
However, the APC politicians from the South East led by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and the incumbent governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, a senator-elect have been on the forefront to canvass for the ceding of the position of Senate President to the region, insisting that in the spirit of equity, justice and fair play the region should be the sole contender in this regard but the northern oligarchy who are bent in making sure that the South East is shut out in the coming dispensation just as in the outgoing dispensation. The traducers of Kalu have said that his alleged criminal tendency which a court of competent jurisdiction has confirmed has disabled him morally to occupy such position in the land. According to those opposed to Kalu’s aspiration, he is a bad market for the position of Senate President because of his past activities when he was the governor of Abia State. The inaction of Kalu, according to the court when he was governor of the state left the state in dire confusion financially.
For Umahi, one of the obstacles he has to contend with is the fact that he is a first timer at the National Assembly who might not be considered to occupy such sensitive post. Again, according to a formidable source, the way and manner he had handled the affairs of the Igbos as the governor of his state left much to be desired in the mouth of opinion molders in the region. Some of his critics are of the opinion that he is not likely going to represent the region firmly and judiciously at the National Assembly because his loyalty appears to lie on the bosom of the northern oligarchy, and is not in hurry to change his mind in supporting any policy of the north whether it is inimical to the co-existence of his people or not. The role he played during the policy of Fulani herdsmen settlement comes handy for those against his candidature, he was the first governor from the South East to give a soft landing for the Fulani herdsmen in his state.
Osita Izunazo, another Senator elected on the platform of APC is said to be eyeing the position of Senate President and he is said to be hobnobbing with the opposition parties in the National Assembly to achieve his ambition. But sources close to the National Secretariat of APC said that Izunaso has no chance at all because the powers that be do not approve of his candidature in this regard. According to an informed source, Izunaso might be a replica of Senator Bukola Saraki who against all odds emerged Senate President with the support of the opposition in the House. Verifiable National Assembly source told this medium that the opposition parties in the house are likely going to line up for him because he is speaking the language they are familiar with “making a new Nigeria possible” and the message appears to have resonated with his party members who saw reason with what he is saying about making Nigeria to work for the benefit of everybody in the country. Grapevine has it that the political deftness of the President –elect might impugn all the efforts of Izunaso.
An informed source revealed to this medium that the ruling party has made up its mind to zone the principal officers of the forthcoming National Assembly to other geopolitical zones other than the South East zone. According to the source, it is a payback time, and it is time to reward those who actually worked for the party during the controversial presidential election. Whatever is the case, one thing that is certain is that South East region is not going to be included in the governance of the nation in the forthcoming administration thereby fueling the belief that the region is not wanted in the affairs of the country, at least at the centre.
Left In The Cold
Some politicians of the All Progressives Congress, APC, from the South East who campaigned to the electorate that the enthronement of their party at the centre would be of immense benefit to the region are on the verge of eating their words in shame as the political calculation being dished out by the party has left the region in the cold
By Chibuike Chiemerie
The meeting of the leaders of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC with the President-elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu at the National Secretariat in Abuja on April 25, 2023 is instructive especially to the APC stalwarts from the South East political region. At the meeting convened by the National Chairman of the party, Abdullahi Adamu, the body language of Tinubu was that he is not going to favour any region that did not contribute to his controversial victory at the polls which is vigorously being challenged at the Presidential Election Tribunal.
An informed insider at the meeting told Tentacle that the party hierarchies have zeroed in South South to produce the Senate President of the 10th National Assembly. And for the Speakership of the House of Representatives, North West has been penciled down for the job while North Central has been designated to occupy the position of the Deputy Speaker while Deputy Senate President would be going to the North East. According to the source, the decision was informed by the fact that these regions contributed immensely to the alleged flawed emergence of Tinubu as the President –elect, adding that it would amount to discouragement of hard work if position of the Senate President is ceded to the South East which according to them did not contribute anything in the victory of the party at the presidential poll.
Godswill Akpabio who is a core contestant for the position of Senate President from the South South was on the entourage of the party leaders who attended the meeting with Tinubu to fine-tune the zoning arrangement of the strategic positions at the 10th National Assembly. The media had been replete with the campaign of Akpabio as the anointed Senate President in the forthcoming National Assembly, and his spin doctors are not resting on their oars in making sure that the South East region is shut out of the race with the mantra that they did not bring anything to the table to the making of Tinubu’s impending presidency.
However, the APC politicians from the South East led by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu and the incumbent governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, a senator-elect have been on the forefront to canvass for the ceding of the position of Senate President to the region, insisting that in the spirit of equity, justice and fair play the region should be the sole contender in this regard but the northern oligarchy who are bent in making sure that the South East is shut out in the coming dispensation just as in the outgoing dispensation. The traducers of Kalu have said that his alleged criminal tendency which a court of competent jurisdiction has confirmed has disabled him morally to occupy such position in the land. According to those opposed to Kalu’s aspiration, he is a bad market for the position of Senate President because of his past activities when he was the governor of Abia State. The inaction of Kalu, according to the court when he was governor of the state left the state in dire confusion financially.
For Umahi, one of the obstacles he has to contend with is the fact that he is a first timer at the National Assembly who might not be considered to occupy such sensitive post. Again, according to a formidable source, the way and manner he had handled the affairs of the Igbos as the governor of his state left much to be desired in the mouth of opinion molders in the region. Some of his critics are of the opinion that he is not likely going to represent the region firmly and judiciously at the National Assembly because his loyalty appears to lie on the bosom of the northern oligarchy, and is not in hurry to change his mind in supporting any policy of the north whether it is inimical to the co-existence of his people or not. The role he played during the policy of Fulani herdsmen settlement comes handy for those against his candidature, he was the first governor from the South East to give a soft landing for the Fulani herdsmen in his state.
Osita Izunazo, another Senator elected on the platform of APC is said to be eyeing the position of Senate President and he is said to be hobnobbing with the opposition parties in the National Assembly to achieve his ambition. But sources close to the National Secretariat of APC said that Izunaso has no chance at all because the powers that be do not approve of his candidature in this regard. According to an informed source, Izunaso might be a replica of Senator Bukola Saraki who against all odds emerged Senate President with the support of the opposition in the House. Verifiable National Assembly source told this medium that the opposition parties in the house are likely going to line up for him because he is speaking the language they are familiar with “making a new Nigeria possible” and the message appears to have resonated with his party members who saw reason with what he is saying about making Nigeria to work for the benefit of everybody in the country. Grapevine has it that the political deftness of the President –elect might impugn all the efforts of Izunaso.
An informed source revealed to this medium that the ruling party has made up its mind to zone the principal officers of the forthcoming National Assembly to other geopolitical zones other than the South East zone. According to the source, it is a payback time, and it is time to reward those who actually worked for the party during the controversial presidential election. Whatever is the case, one thing that is certain is that South East region is not going to be included in the governance of the nation in the forthcoming administration thereby fueling the belief that the region is not wanted in the affairs of the country, at least at the centre.
