BY Dyepkazah Shibayan
Abdullahi Adamu, national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), says the leadership of the party in collaboration with Bola Tinubu, president-elect, is working on a “sharing formula” of leadership positions in the national assembly.
Speaking at a meeting with national assembly members-elect at the Aso Rock villa in Abuja on Monday, Adamu said the party should avoid what happened in 2015.
Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara ignored the party’s wish and became senate president and speaker of the house of representatives respectively.
The APC had wanted Senate President Ahmad Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila, incumbent speaker, for the positions at the time.
The APC chairman said members-elect have the right to seek positions in the assembly but it should not cause a rift in the party.
“People have the right to struggle for positions of leadership for which they believe they are eminently qualified,” Adamu said.
“But we, in the national working committee of the party, are not comfortable with the tone adopted by those who seek those offices. Those offices are not tribal or sectional rights and must not be so portrayed.
“We would like to offer a word of caution to all of you in this regard. It may be good to start early but sometimes when you start too early you jump the gun and court unintended consequences that may cause nasty divisions in the party and thus affect its health.
“Leadership positions at the national level is a delicate matter and must not be approached with levity or lack of seriousness.
“It may be good to start early but it is wiser to be patient. Some of you may recall what happened to the party and the National Assembly in 2015 when some members of the national legislature chose not to wait for the decision of the president and the party in sharing those offices.
“It created bad blood within the party and between the executive and the legislature. I urge us not to regress.
“The president-elect and the party leadership will make appropriate consultations in working out a formula for sharing those offices. I assure you that whatever sharing formula the Party and the President-elect arrive at will be fair, just, equitable, and satisfy the majority of our members.”
The chairman asked the member-elect to work for the victory of the party in the governorship elections.
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