The All Progressives Congress, or APC, had previously declared a zoning mechanism for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly. However, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the leading sociocultural organization in the South-East, has rejected this plan.
According to Newsmen, the National Working Committee of the ruling party selected Hon. Tajudeen Abass from Kaduna State to be the new Speaker of the House of Representatives, replacing Senator Godswill Akpabio, the former governor of Akwa Ibom State.
The party also nominated Hon. Ben Kalu of Abia State to serve as the House of Representatives’ deputy speaker.
Coalition Rejects APC Zoning Of Deputy Speaker To South East Calls It ‘Insult’
The party has abandoned the desire of some senators-elect from the Southeast to become the next senate president thanks to the zoning system.
But Ohanaeze criticized the zoning of Deputy Speaker to the area as being unreflective, offensive, and inflammatory in a statement released on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia.
The group urged all regional parliamentarians to cast their ballots freely during the election, regardless of their state of residence, religion, or ethnicity.
The statement reads, “The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has watched with grave concern the zoning of principal officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We have also observed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) zoned the position of the Deputy Speaker to the South East of Nigeria.
“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo states that allocating the position of the Deputy Speaker to the South East is highly unreflective, disgusting and provocative to the Igbo.
“To this end, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide led by Chief Engr. Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, CFR (Ahaejiagamba) directs all the Igbo Lawmakers in the 10th National Assembly to vote according to their discretion irrespective of state, religion or ethnicity.”
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