Congress (APC) has been described as an insult on the north and an
affront on the principle of federal character enshrined in the
Constitution of Nigeria.
The Northern Youths Movement (NYM) told the APC National Chairman,
Adams Oshiomhole and he party’s National Leader, Bola Tinubu to perish
their thought of taking over the National Assembly in preparation for
his (Tinubu) presidential ambition in 2023.
According a release issued in Abuja today, which was signed by the NYM
Chairman, Mallam Ishaya Jato, the north will resist Oshiomhole and
Tinubu’s attempt to zone the House of Representatives Speaker to the
Southwest, which already has the Vice President.
The NYM, which reiterated that it had nothing against Hon. Femi
Gbajabiamila, dismissed report that President Muhammadu Buhari agreed
to the zoning of the Speakership position to the Southwest in the
dinner held last night with APC returning and Reps members-elect.
The group disclosed that President Buhari even had to openly reprimand
Oshiomhole for discussing what he described as unnecessary details
that were not know to him ad that his understanding was that all zones
should meet and discuss zoning.
Our question then is; when did Oshiomhole meet with APC National
Working Committee members to arrive at his zoning of the Reps Speaker
to the Southwest, a zone that already has the Vice President just as
the Northwest has the President?
Our understanding of the federal character formula is that with six
positions of President, Vice President, Senate President and Deputy as
well as Reps Speaker and Deputy available, the six geopolitical zones
must get one position each.
Since Northwest and Southwest have already taken President and Vice
President respectively, the remaining four positions must be shared
among the South-South, South East, North Central and North East zones.
Anything outside this is against the unity of Nigeria and peaceful
coexistence of its people, and we in the Northern Youths Movement will
never support that.
President Buhari is therefore called upon to be mindful of the
scheming of Tinubu through Oshiomhole because this planned handing of
two major positions to the Southwest, which produced lesser votes than
the North-Central and North-East is an injustice that must not be
allowed to happen.