APC meets to decide on transition, zoning

The meeting will also discuss the composition and responsibilities of the transition committee.The APC has been battling to balance competing interests in sharing leadership positions in the National Assembly.  There are also decisions to be made in the appointment of key ministerial and board positions.The President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, who defeated President Goodluck Jonathan in […]

The meeting will also discuss the composition and responsibilities of the transition committee.
The APC has been battling to balance competing interests in sharing leadership positions in the National Assembly.  
There are also decisions to be made in the appointment of key ministerial and board positions.
The President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, who defeated President Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential election on March 28, is at present giving the party leeway to make its decisions on most of these issues.
However, trouble lies ahead as some geo-political zones are said to have rejected how certain posts were zoned by a sub committee appointed by the National Working Committee (NWC).
The northeast, for example, is demanding that it should be allotted either the Senate President or Speaker House of Representatives after giving the president-elect the second highest votes.
It argued that it had won more National Assembly seats than any other zone but the northwest.
Party leaders from the zone said the least they would accept is the post of the Secretary to the government.
This position, however, is zoned to the southeast.  
The APC NWC reportedly finalized its position on transition committee and zoning of some critical positions in the government but the NEC has to ratify it.
Daily Trust learnt that a sub-committee headed by former Ekiti State Governor Segun Oni was mandated by the NWC to consider the composition and responsibilities of the transition committee; appointment of chief of staff and deputy chief of staff to the president, zoning of National Assembly positions and appointment of ministers, among others.
The Segun Oni committee which had Alhaji Lai Muhammed, Alhaji Inuwa Abdulkadir, Dr Muiz Banire and Chief George Moghalu as members reportedly finished its assignment by zoning the National Assembly positions and naming the composition of the transition committee.
But APC spokesperson, who is also member of the sub-committee, refuted the report that the party had zoned the positions or appointed the members of the transition committee.
According to the Oni sub-committee report obtained by Daily Trust, the transition committee to be chaired by the vice president-elect; will comprise of 21 people. The president-elect will nominate five members, the NWC three, and 12 others nominated by the sub-committee to be approved by the president elect.
On its responsibilities, the sub-committee recommended that the transition committee should determine the size and composition of government, define the priorities of government, form nine sub-committees, appoint management consultants and interface with outgoing government.
On president’s chief of staff and his deputy, the report suggested that the president-elect should appoint knowledgeable people “possibly a member of the NWC, caucus, or BOT.”  
On zoning of national positions, the report resolved thus: president (Northwest), BOT chairman (Northeast), Senate president (North central), vice president (Southwest), secretary to the government of the federation (Southeast) and national chairman (South-south).
Other positions zoned by the Oni-led subcommittee included deputy senate leader (Northwest), deputy senate president (Northeast), deputy leader House of Representatives (North-central), speaker (Southwest), BOT secretary (Southeast) and deputy speaker (South-south).
Senate chief whip was zoned to (Northwest), national secretary (Northeast), House of Representatives whip (North-central), senate leader (Southwest), House of Representatives deputy whip (Southeast), senate deputy whip (South-south), and leader House of Representatives (Northeast).
On appointments of chairmen and members of federal government boards, parastatals and agencies, the committee recommended that an appointment committee should be put in place. The committee should comprise of APC national chairman, vice president, senate president, speaker, six members of NWC, three BOT members, and the SGF.