The APC should stick to the principle of equity, fairness and justice by zoning the speakership position to the North Central zone, North-Central Professionals (NCP)have said.
Yusuf Sani, coordinator of the NCP who made this known in a statement argued that out of the zones that have occupied the seat, the north central has had the shortest stint of three months adding that the other zones have held it for several years.
“The only time the north central held it was in 1983, when the NPN administration of Shagari won a second term and late Benjamin Chaha from Benue was elected speaker and served from October to December of that year before the military sacked the Second Republic.
“In the First Republic, Chief Jaja Wachukwu from the South East became the first indigenous speaker shortly before independence in 1959 and handed over to Ibrahim Jalo Waziri from the region now known as North East in 1960.
“Also, in 1979, Chief Edwin Ume-Ezeoke of the NPP from the South East steered the ship of the House between 1979 and 1983. The IBB administration inaugurated a federal legislature that served under his military government, the South East took the slot of speaker. Agunwa Anaekwe from Anambra served as speaker between 1992 and 1993. The South East held the position thrice.
He explained that from 1999 to 2007, the position was zoned to the North West with Salisu Buhari, Ghali Na’aba and Aminu Masari holding sway while between 2007 and 2011, the South West had it with Dimeji Bankole and Patricia Olubunmi Etteh as speakers.
