APC zones Majority Leader, Chief Whip, others …North East opposes Lawan

By CHRIS EMETOH, Abuja

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Senators yesterday narrowly avoided fists fight as a meeting between the Unity Forum and the Like Minds to decide on the remaining leadership positions of the senate came to a dead end.
The meeting which began around 2:00pm to streamline the zoning of key leadership positions which is considered a strictly party affair failed to resolve the lingering crisis as senators from both divides refused to compromise their positions.
The Senators were seen exchanging words as they burst open the doors of the room where the meeting was held, with some of the senators being restrained by other colleagues from exchanging blows. One of the APC senators who rushed out of the meeting room to brief waiting journalists after the fiasco said trouble started when members of the Unity Forum, a pro-Ahmed Lawan group walked into the meeting to protest the zoning of positions which had already been approved and agreed on by those who were at the meeting.
The senator said that the senators were already in agreement that the position of the Senate Leader be zoned to the North East, where both Senators Ali Ndume and Lawan have shown interest. The North West is to produce the Deputy Leader, South West Chief Whip, while the South-South is to produce the Deputy Chief Whip. But the position did not go down well with the Lawan group as it was said that he wanted it on a platter of gold rather than contesting with Ndume, a stance which the Ndume ‘Like Mind’ senators opposed.

 
It was also gathered that when it was apparently clear that the leadership of APC wanted to use the position to compensate Lawan who was beaten in the senate presidency race by Senator Bukola Saraki, senators from the North East opposed the move and said they should be allowed to choose among themselves who will lead them.
The arguments were said to have generated a lot of heat and anger prompting lawmakers from opposing sides to punch blows at one another.
However Senator Abu Ibrahim speaking to Journalists in his office shortly after the incident described the meeting as a healing process for APC members after the crisis that was generated by the senate presidency. “The meeting was an agreement between both camps to sit together and talk as senators to sort out issues”. He stated however that the party had come out with a position which some people have kicked against for personal ambitions. Senator Ibrahim called on the senators to put anger behind them and allow the position of the party to prevail.