The ruling All Progressives Congress could suffer from implosion over the leadership of the National Assembly especially that of the Senate as two regions Northwest and South-east are frantically fighting for headship of the Red Chamber.
With President-elect Bola Tinubu and Vice president-elect Kashim Shettima coming from the Southwest and Northeast respectively South-East and North-West are the two main regions agitating for the Senate Presidency.
Northwest is banking on its contribution to the success of the APC in the presidential election to seal the position.
Elements from the region are arguing that the zone contributes more than 30 per cent to the success of APC in the February 25 polls and should be considered above the Southeast region that gave the ruling party less than 10 per cent of the votes.
The zone is rallying behind Senator Jibrin Barau from Kano who has been lobbying his colleagues since the end of the polls.
More than 70 of his colleagues attended a banquet he organised recently which is seen as a platform to lobby for their support.
Meanwhile, the reactions of some members of the party to the idea of a Senate President coming from the Muslim North after a Muslim-Muslim ticket of the party in the presidential election could further aggravate bad blood from the Christian community who bitterly complained ahead of the last polls.
If Barau emerges as Senate President, it will then means that the first three positions in the country are occupied by Muslims.
However, the sentiments for the Southeast Presidency are gaining ground given the fact that the Senator in pole position to nick the post from the region Orji Uzor Kalu is a Christian.
Kalu, the current Chief Whip of the Senate, has been reportedly lobbying his mates to consider him for the plum job.
The President-elect has been pressurised by different groups including the pan-Igbo socio-political group Ohanaeze Ndigbo which is canvassing for a Senate President of Igbo extraction.
In a move to forestall an impending implosion that is similar to what happened in 2015 when Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara moved against the party to emerge the Senate President and House of Representatives Speaker respectively, the APC has invited all lawmakers elected on its platform to a meeting with the President-elect and vice president-elect at the State House Abuja on Monday.
The invitation to the meeting, which was signed by APC National Secretary, Iyiola Omisore, was also published on the party’s official Twitter handle around 10.08pm on Friday.
While requesting the guests to come along with the Certificates of Return issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission after they were declared winners, the statement also urged them to arrive early enough to participate in a screening before the event slated for 2.00pm would commence.
The invitation read, “This is to inform all Senators-elect and members of the House of Representatives-elect of the All Progressives Congress (APC) that they are invited to a parley with the party’s national leadership.
“The meeting, which will be attended by the President-elect and Vice President-elect, will be held at the State House Banquet Hall, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. Senators/House of Representatives-elect must come to the meeting with their Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Certificates of Return and must come alone.
“The meeting is strictly on invitation. Date: Monday, 13th of March, 2023. Time: 2pm prompt. Venue: State House Banquet Hall, Aso Rock Villa, Abuja. All invited guests are expected to arrive early to allow for screening and be seated before 12 noon.”
A source within the party said the outcome of the meeting could see the Senate presidency zoned to the Southeast while the North-West gets the Speakership.
