POLITICAL OFFICES: DON’T JETTISON ZONING, Abe tells APC leaders

A Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and lawmaker representing Rivers South-East in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe has appealed to the leadership of the party not to jettison the zoning of political offices.

Abe who stated this in a statement issued in Port Harcourt observed that “in a fragile democracy like ours, we can’t ignore a fundamental issue like zoning of political offices among component parts of a federal structure where every section expects a voice”.
“Let us not wish away fairness, balance and national character in the occupation of strategic offices; incidentally, there are capable hands with solid character across the length and breadth of this country that can hold their own in every endeavour,” he said.
Nigeria as a nation, the Senator disclosed, was yet to overcome ethnic and religious sentiments in political considerations, saying disregard for geo-political zones and interest groups in the sharing of offices could be costly.
APC, he said, must remember that what destroyed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was not zoning but non adherence to the zoning principle as enshrined in the PDP constitution.
“We cannot suddenly claim not to believe in zoning because it was zoning that gave birth to Buhari from the North-West, Osinbajo, South-West, and Oyegun, South-South as President, Vice President and Party Chairman respectively”, the Senator disclosed, stressing that the zoning consideration assisted in facilitating APC’s victory at the Presidential poll.
He, therefore, urged party faithful to be bold in speaking on variables that would secure the confidence of more Nigerians in the party, so that the hard-earned victory in the March 28 Presidential election will reflect the diverse groups in the country.