APC, PDP factions form alliance to produce Senate President

It has emerged that the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is planning to capitalise on the failure of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to reach a consensus on the zoning of key offices in the incoming administration. Some APC members, had, in a crucial meeting in Abuja on Thursday, April 23, disagreed on the zoning of the Senate President seat to the North-Central and Deputy Senate President to the North-East, as recommended by the party’s National Working Committee.Reports say the PDP factions in the two chambers of the National Assembly are forming an alliance with the aggrieved APC members to produce a speaker and a senate president different from candidates approved by the APC.

At the APC meeting, the office of the deputy speaker was reportedly zoned to the South-South.

A member of the alliance who spoke to Punch anonymously said the caucus will ensure that holders of the offices are not choices of the APC leaders.

“Although we are not disputing the fact that the APC should produce leaders of the National Assembly, we will ensure that those who will emerge are people we prefer, not the choices of the APC leaders.

“By doing that, we will snatch the control of the National Assembly from them, just as the APC controlled the House through Aminu Tambuwal,” the source said.

However, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had in a statement earlier this week dismissed the reports of disagreement in the party over zoning of offices. He described the claims as ‘products of hyperactive rumour mills’.