10th NASS Leadership: Group decries APC’s decision to zone principal offices

Women For Yari Movement, a political pressure group has decried recent decision of the APC National Working Committee (NWC)to zone principal offices of the in-coming 10th National Assembly in favour of some of the party’s chieftains.

Ms Sofiya Ogoh, convener of the group, at a news conference in Abuja, said the decision was already complicating issues among senators and members-elect and had generated a huge controversy within the party.

“Rather than foster national unity, peace and love to heal the land after a bitterly fought 2023 general elections.

“The APC zoning list has divided further the party and the country, we expect that NWC should rather set a possible agenda towards eradicating hunger and insecurity,” Ogoh said.

She added that the APC NWC should had stayed on the sideline rather than anointing a favorite among the 109 senators.

“National Assembly proclamation day is still some weeks away, therefore, it is not too late for the APC NWC to embrace the metaphor of true mothers to stem the crisis engulfing the party over its zoning list.

“Although the APC NWC claimed that Sen. Bola Tinubu, the President-elect and other critical stakeholders were consulted in the cause of drawing up the zoning list.

“It has since emerged that this is far from the truth and that a nascent cabal may have formed from the APC NWC and Tinubu’s inner circle which unilaterally handpicked their friends and zoned the Senate leadership to them.

“We, therefore, call on the APC NWC to withdraw that discredited zoning list and allow a free and fair contest for the leadership of the 10th Senate,” she said.

She appealed to Tinubu, the President-elect to prevail on his inner circle to back off from opposing leaders from the in-coming Assembly to avoid having a disastrous start.

She noted that all candidates aspiring to the Senate Presidency of the 10th Assembly were patriots who would work with Tinubu in the Executive and with the Judiciary for a better Nigeria.

Ogoh advised that none of the aspirants should be hamstrung for a cabal’s choice, saying that the independence of the parliament was sacrosanct and non-negotiable in a true democracy.

“It starts with members freely electing their leaders on proclamation day without extraneous meddling either by the party or the executive.

“This is the minimum we demand of the APC NWC, Tinubu, the President-elect and the whirling cabal rumoured to be around him,” she said.

She called on the party’s leadership to ensure a level-playing field for all aspirants, stressing that the 10th Assembly must be led by competent hands freely elected by members themselves.

Ogoh said from the poll, the group was convinced that Sen. Adbulaziz Yari elected to represent Zamfara West, enjoys the confidence of majority of the in-coming senators.

According to her, Yari will be elected on the first ballot in a free, open and fair contest based on his personal competence and decades of experience in the public service.

This, she said, had seen him grow from the grassroot as party foot soldier to being a former two-term Governor of Zamfara and chairman of Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF).

“The Women for Yari Movement deems it fit to stage this categoric intervention because as mothers to the in-coming members of the National Assembly and indeed to all Nigerians.

“We cannot sit idle and watch our children cross swords over a totally avoidable crisis”she said.(https://newsatlarge.ng)