Tinubu, APC NWC meet, favour Akpabio as Senate President, Tajudeen as Speaker

 President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu on Friday met with the leadership of the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as consultation continue on the zoning of the leadership position of the 10th National Assembly.

DAILY POST gathered that the meeting which had in attendance the National Chairman of APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Deputy National Chairman, North, Senator Abubakar Kyari, Deputy National Chairman, South, Emma Eneukwu and the National Secretary of the party, Senator Iyiola Omisore took place at the Defence House in Abuja.

A reliable source who preferred anonymity said during the meeting that lasted for about 1hr 30mins, Tinubu told leaders of the party of his preference for Akpabio as the 10th Senate President while Senator Jibrin Barau will serve as his deputy.

Also, the meeting reached a compromise on the next Speaker of the House of Representatives, with Abbas Tajudeen giving the nod to preside over the 10th House.

The source said: “It is true Asiwaju met with Adamu, Omisore, Kyari and Eneukwu today (Friday). They have agreed that Akpabio will be the next Senate President while Jibrin will be his deputy. TJ (Abbas Tajudeen) will be the next Speaker.)”

The source added that the North Central would be compensated with the position of Secretary to the Government of the Federation.

Recall that Adamu had hinted on Wednesday at the end of the NWC meeting that the ruling party alongside the president-elect would agree on a consensus in the zoning of the leadership positions of the next Assembly.

“That is not what today’s meeting is all about. When we do the zoning meeting, we don’t just go alone as a party. Zoning is to take along the person who has the mandate of this country, the president-elect, Senator Ahmed Bola Tinubu, we want to take him along. He travelled after the election and he came back only last week and we have to carry him along.

“And we cannot stop those who are ambitious or zoning interests, or individual interests, we cannot deny them. And as long as that is there, we have to find a way, persuasively, to reach some level of consensus. That’s what we are working on. It is not a one-day affair,” Adamu had said.