2023: Group faults APC national leadership zoning arrangement

The Indigenous People of Nigeria (IPN) has faulted the national leadership zoning arrangement of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Convener of the organisation, Mazi Nnamdi Iroegbu, at a media conference in Abuja, said the arrangement was insensitive to the multi-ethnic setting of the country, and thus portend danger to the corporate existence of the country.

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“You may recall that penultimate to the National Convention of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the IPN, lauded the party for putting up a zoning arrangement suitable for a multi-ethnic society like ours,” he said.

According to him, going by the zoning arrangement made public by the APC Caretaker Committee Chairman, Governor Sani Bello of Niger State, the position of National Chairman is zoned to the North Central, Deputy Chairman North, to the Northwest, Deputy Chairman South to South East, and National Secretary to South West.

He said, “We observe that this zoning arrangement of political positions under the ruling APC is unjust to a section of the country, specifically, the Southeast. We view it disheartening that the APC is toying with the unity and oneness of Nigeria.

“The view earlier expressed by APC was that the North and South swerved positions, such that all positions initially held by the North automatically go to the South and vice versa.

“However, it is apparent that while the South West held the first chairmanship position of the party, Vice President and Speakership positions, and the North East, Secretary and Senate President, members of the party from the South East are treated with disdain, giving the impression that they do not belong to the party.”

He urged the APC leadership to correct the error before its convention.

“IPN calls on well-meaning Nigerians, particularly, leaders of Southeast in APC, to reject in its entirety the proposed zoning formular as made by the Acting Caretaker Chairman, and immediately commence engagement to rectify it so as to bring sense of belonging to Nigerians from the Southeast,” Iroegbu said.

He therefore urged the national leadership and stakeholders of the APC to zone the position of National Secretary to the Southeast, just as PDP has done.

He said their position can be excused by the assumption that it will amount to an overburden for a South East has it been that the party has zoned the presidency to it and still share equally with other zones.