Some APC stakeholders in North-Central say plot to zone House of Representatives speakership to North-West at the expense of their zone amounted to “deliberate acts of provocation.”

The group said its assertion followed reports that the North-Central had been excluded from zoning arrangements for top positions in the 10th National Assembly.

Reverend Dominic Alancha, the spokesman for the stakeholders told a news conference in Abuja on Sunday that they were out to defend the tenets of democracy and uphold the rule of law by ensuring fairness and justice to all and at all times.

“It has been our lot to commend acts that promote the rule of law and social justice and to speak against acts capable of undermining our hard earned democracy,” he said.

Mr Alancha said that there was a plot by some APC leaders to zone the Senate presidency to the South-South and the Deputy Senate Presidency to the North-West.

He said that the group also plans to zone the speakership to the North-West and the Deputy Speaker to the South-East, leaving the North-Central out of the equation.

“We take strong exceptions to the bid to zone the position of speaker of the House of Representatives to the North West zone because that will imply undue favouritism, lack of fairness and the marginalisation of other zones.

“While the North-West will go home with two key positions in the National Assembly, the North Central would be totally excluded from the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

“This, to us, seems to be a deliberate act of provocation to the North-Central zone which has contributed so much to the success of the APC as a party and to the victory of President-elect Sen. Bola Tinubu.

“We call on Tinubu to prevail on the party and ensure that the office of the speaker is zoned to the North-Central for equity and fairness,” he said.

Mr Alancha recalled that the APC won in Kwara, Niger, Benue and Kogi in the presidential election, noting that only Plateau was lost.

He said that in the governorship election, the North-Central with six states, gave four – Benue, Niger, Nasarawa and Kwara – to the APC.

(NAN)