Politics
10th NASS: APC Yet To Zone Leadership Positions – Adamu
Ahead of the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has said that the party was yet to zone its Presiding offices positions for the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Speaking with journalists shortly after he cast his vote at his Keffi, Nasarawa State, country home on Saturday, Adamu described as fake, the widely reported news of the zoning arrangements in the National Assembly.
The APC National Chairman expressed surprise why politicians should engage in what he described as wishful thinking instead of awaiting the official pronouncement from the party.
Adamu who was reacting to a news report that Senator Barau Jibrin, APC, Kano North was being favoured to emerge as the President of the Senate because the APC had zoned the Senate Presidency to the North West, said, “The report about the zoning arrangements for the 10th National Assembly is fake news. We have not done any zoning.
“I have said it times without number since Monday. I am still saying the same thing. No zoning has been established yet and agreed to.
“No zoning has been made public. Anybody who is saying anything, is a rumour. It’s a wishful rumour.”
Also in a statement titled, “APC Yet To Zone Key 10th National Assembly Positions,” signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, on Saturday, the party described stories of the zoning arrangements, as false and misleading.
Morka said, “The attention of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been drawn to a report circulating on social media on purported zoning of key positions of the incoming 10th National Assembly. The report is false and misleading, and should be disregarded in its entirety.
“The Party has not made any decision on zoning of positions or offices of the 10th Assembly.
“As soon as a decision is made on zoning, it will be made public through the Party’s official communications channel.”
The misleading report which was published by major newspapers on Saturday had claimed that the APC had finally opted to zone the Senate Presidency position to the North West geopolitical zone, making the “odds to clearly favour Senator Barau Jibrin.”
The false report claimed that the decision on zoning was reached on Friday night, by the leadership of the APC after consulting with the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“The decision takes pre-eminence over earlier suggestions in some quarters to zone the position to the South,” it further claimed.
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia, has appointed Nigerian music legend, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as TuFace, as his Technical Adviser on Entertainment and Community Outreach.
In a viral video on Wednesday, Governor Alia praised TuFace for all the support towards his administration.
The Governor stated that TuFace can do more.
He stated, “On behalf of the Benue State Government and our very good people, we want to give you some more responsibility plus the ones you have been doing because you have the capacity to do some more and help us chart a way forward to improve other people’s lives and to gain more from your wisdom and advice as well.
“So, I’m pleased to announce that we will make you a Technical Adviser to the Governor on Entertainment and Community Outreach.”
Governor of Delta State, Rt Hon Sheriff Oborevwori, has officially defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The announcement was made following a closed-door meeting at the Government House in Asaba on Wednesday.
The Governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, confirmed the development in a telephone conversation with The Tide’s source.
Similarly, the defection of former Governor Ifeanyi Okowa was announced on Wednesday in Asaba by Senator James Manager, following a meeting that lasted over six hours at the Government House.
Senator Manager said all PDP members in the State, including the Governor, former Governor Okowa, the Speaker, the state party chairman, and all local government chairmen, had agreed to join the APC.
“We cannot continue to be in a sinking boat,” he said.
The decision to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC) followed extensive consultations with political stakeholders and was made in the interest of Delta State’s long-term development.
Governor Oborevwori, who won the 2023 gubernatorial election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was received by senior APC officials in what political analysts are already describing as a strategic realignment with far-reaching implications ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria has condemned the recent wave of killings in Plateau, Borno, Benue, Niger State and most recently, Kwara State, calling on the federal and state governments to take urgent steps to stem the tide.
Chairman, Conference of Speakers of State Legislatures of Nigeria, Adebo Ogundoyin, stated this in a statement issued in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Rt Hon. Ogundoyin, who is the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, said the gruesome killings had led to tragic loss of lives, widespread displacement, and unimaginable trauma for thousands of Nigerians.
“We are alarmed by the escalating insecurity in the land and the seeming helplessness with which these attacks are met. The time for mere condemnation and rhetoric has passed; urgent and coordinated action is now required at all levels of government to end these bloodbaths and restore peace and order.
“While we acknowledge that defence and national security fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal Government, we must stress that every level of government bears responsibility for the security and welfare of the people. State governors, in particular, must rise to the occasion and fully understand that governance is not limited to road construction and ceremonial functions. True governance is rooted in the protection of lives, the preservation of order, and the alleviation of suffering,” he said.
He called on state governments to complement the efforts of the Federal Government by making and enforcing enabling laws for community policing and other grassroots-driven security models.
According to him, States must develop proactive frameworks that integrate local intelligence, social support systems, and youth engagement in the fight against insecurity.
The conference also urged the Federal Government to meaningfully engage the citizenry and introduce bold, practical measures to cushion the hardship caused by its current economic policies.
“Millions of Nigerians are groaning under the weight of inflation, unemployment, and a cost-of-living crisis. It is imperative that relief initiatives—targeted, transparent, and impactful—are rolled out without delay. Dialogue, not distance, must define the relationship between the government and its people at this critical time.
“The Conference of Speakers affirms its commitment to supporting all legislative actions necessary to restore security, promote justice, and foster inclusive governance across the country. The killings in Benue, Niger, Plateau, Borno, Kwara, and any part of Nigeria must not be allowed to continue unchecked. Justice must prevail, and peace must be restored.
“Let it be known: the safety, dignity, and well-being of every Nigerian must remain the top priority of all arms and levels of government,” Rt Hon. Ogundoyin said.