2023: APC attains consensus on zoning formula

The All Progressives Congress (APC) appears to have reached consensus on a zoning formula that will see to the swapping of offices held between the north and south.

By the latest development, all offices that were occupied by northerners in the last eight years will go to the south and vice versa.

They settled for this system after a meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and 19 governors elected under the APC at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

At the meeting were Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha; and the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.

Speaking while briefing correspondents on the outcome of the meeting, Governor Nasir el-Rufai of Kaduna State revealed that an agreement had been reached on zoning formula.

He said: “We have agreed a zoning formula for all the six geo-political zones. Essentially, northern zone will have the positions the south have had in the last eight years. And vice versa.

“It is a very simple, equitable and fair formula.

“We will now go back and consult at the zonal level and look at the positions that are available and the process of the convention preparation we started in earnest.

“So, by the grace of God, on the 26th of March, we would have done our national convention.”

The 18 governors in attendance at the meeting taking place at the Council Chambers are from Yobe, Ekiti, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Cross River, Kaduna, Lagos, Borno, Niger, Gombe, Osun, Kebbi, Anambra dep, Nasarawa, Kwara, Kano, Imo, Kogi, Ogun, and Plateau states.

The outgoing deputy governor of Anambra state is also in attendance.

Kebbi Governor, Atiku Bagudu also spoke to the media on the latest development saying, “we are at the Presidential Villa this afternoon to meet with Mr. President, President Muhammadu Buhari to among others to discuss party issues and the in coming convention. But before then, we collectively expressed our delight and congratulated Mr. President om the 3.4% GDP growth that was recorded for 2021, which surpassed all estimates both domestic and international.

“We also noted and thank him for the major transformational projects that are taking place in all the six geo-political zones of the country. These are infrastructure projects and inclusiveness programmes.”