Cracks seemed to have appeared at the weekend within the caucus of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the House of Representatives, following alleged zoning of the remaining principal offices.
This is coming about 24 hours for the House of Representatives members to resume from their two-week break after the June 11 inauguration.
According to a National Assembly source, the party leadership is said to have zoned House Leader’s position to Kano, and the contest is between Aminu Suleiman and Alhassan Ado Doguwa.
Also, it was gathered that other principal officers picked include Deputy Leader, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha (Southeast); Chief Whip, Peter Akpatason (Southsouth) and Mohammad Monguno (Northeast).
But the decision of the party on the principal officers has not gone down well with some members.
A source, who spoke in confidence, said: “This is already creating serious crisis within our (APC) caucus because the issue of fairness and equity and reward for loyalty is not lost on us. That’s what our party stands for.
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“For instance, look at what Monguno is being rewarded with, despite all his efforts to keep the party going in the House.
“Monguno is a fifth-term member of the House. He always obeys party directives in the House, despite all the intimidation, only to be given the position of Deputy Chief Whip to serve under a second/third-term member. That doesn’t look like justice to me.
“This is someone who was picked by the party to be the Deputy Speaker in 2015 alongside the current Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, who was picked to be the Number Four Citizen four years ago.”
Some APC lawmakers from the Northeast noted that the position of the Chief Whip should not go to Edo State, as it would appear as if APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomhole, who is from the same state as Akpatason, used his influence to foist him (Akpatason) on the caucus.
“It is not out of place if Northeast lawmakers wondered why Southsouth, which has only about six APC members in the House, is favoured to take the position of Chief Whip against the Northeast, which has over 33 APC Representatives.
“I can tell you that if the APC national leadership insists on the list of those picked as it is, Monguno would not accept the position of Deputy Chief Whip but will rather remain out of the body of principal officers.
“This is a man who has been a very loyal member of the party. He was to be Deputy Speaker in 2015, and he was even picked by the party for that position. But look at what they’re trying to do.
“Despite what happened four years ago, he remained a loyal party member. As a matter of fact, he’s one of the highest-ranking members of the House as a fifth-term lawmaker.”
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