Zoning: Jonathan summons Mark to Obudu •South-West bounces back to reckoning

Posted by admin Latest Politics, Legislature, Senate, South-East, South-West Thursday, May 5th, 2011

AS part of his ongoing consultations on the formation of the next administration in line with the federal character principle enshrined in the constitution,

President Goodluck Jonathan, on Wednesday invited the President of the Senate, Senator David Mark, to the Obudu Cattle Ranch in Cross River State, venue of his seven-day retreat.

Sources in Abuja confirmed to the Nigerian Tribune that Mark left Abuja on Wednesday afternoon to answer the call.

It was confirmed that the President of the Senate had consulted a number of his outgoing colleagues and some notable senators-elect before embarking on the trip. He was also said to have held consultations with the acting chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Haliru Mohammed, in Abuja.

Sources told the Nigerian Tribune that the invitation extended to Senator Mark by the president was to enable the Nigerian leader and the outgoing Senate President to finetune the focus of the next National Assembly as well as the power sharing formula that would be adopted in the configuration of the new National Assembly.

Sources said that the consultation with Mark would also lay the foundation of the president’s mindset on the zoning arrangement.

Sources said that the South-West zone appeared to have bounced back into reckoning in the power equation at the National Assemnbly following feelers that President Jonathan is disposed to the retention of the zoning arrangement as constituted in 2007.

Said the source: “The president is of the view that he cannot change the goalpost in the midst of the game. He had told all Nigerians that he was going to serve out the tenure of his late boss, which is supposed to last till 2015. He is aware that the zoning arrangement that came into being in 2007 was meant to subsist for eight years were it not for the act of God that brought him to power. That is why he is not thinking of altering the zoning arrangement substantially.”

The source said that with the plan to retain the existing zoning arrangement, the South-West would now produce the Speaker of the House of Representatives, while the North-Central will retain the Senate presidency.

As a way of maintaining the sanctity of the legislature and religious balance in the political calculations, the source said that a South-West Muslim, who is also a ranking member of the House of Representatives would be made to pick the Speaker’s slot.

It was also gathered that the PDP which will announce the zoning pattern is expected to meet with top zonal leaders of the party so as to enhance internal cohesion.

A source close to the party also said: “We view what is going on among senators-elect and members of the House as far as demand for zoning of offices is concerned as part of the democratic rights of members. But it is within the powers of the party, which is the custodian of all positions to give directions that will enhance national unity and coexistence. The party cannot afford to throw away the party’s zoning arrangement for offices in a way that would contravene the constitution or undermine the existence of our party in a particular zone, especially the South-West.”

Meanwhile, sources close to the presidency said on Wednesday that President Jonathan did not have any agreement to retain any of the outgoing presiding officers of the National Assembly in their positions.

The source said that what was paramount was that the president had enjoyed a good working relationship with the National Assembly and might want to repeat the same scenario if any of them made it at the election.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors from the South-East may have picked up battle garbs against former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, who they are reportedly considering as a stumbling block against their aspiration to grab the speakership of the House of Representatives in the next political dispensation.

The governors, who held a crucial meeting in Enugu, on Sunday, the Nigerian Tribune could reveal, had resolved to meet President Jonathan to formally present their request to him in Obudu Ranch.

Findings revealed that the governors were predicating their suspicion against Obasanjo on the moves he was said to have been made to retain the speakership position in the South-West.

There have been reports that the PDP was not disposed to an idea of taking away the speakership position from the South-West, having reportedly felt at home with suggestion that the status quo ante be retained on the zoning arrangement in the interest of peace and progress of Nigeria.

In the event that the status quo was kept on zoning, President Jonathan would represent the South-South, with his deputy standing for the North-West, while the Senate presidency would still be held by the Middle-Belt, just as the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation would be offered to the South-East.

The position of the Head of Civil Service and other positions would go the North-East.

In separate chats with aides of the governors, it leant that the governors, under the aegis of South-East Governors Summit, had collectively vowed to leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the PDP did not have its way, as they were said to be galvanising opinions of all Igbo political leaders towards a common ground on the issue and had, again, scheduled another meeting for Nike Lake Hotel, Enugu, on Sunday.

A prominent member of the Igbo Political Leaders Forum, Udenta Udenta, confirmed in a chat that the South-East zone was interested in the speakership position, adding that” though we merit it, we are aware it will not be given on a platter of gold and so we will fight for it.”

Udenta warned that the South-East would not take it lightly in the event that it was denied its request in the new political equation of Nigeria.

He confirmed that the governors would be holding a summit on Sunday and that the issue of power sharing would top the agenda.

-Tribunewp_posts