The spokesperson for the Ninth Senate and the lawmaker representing Osun Central senatorial district, Senator Ajibola Basiru, said that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is likely to release the zoning formula for the 10th Assembly leadership after the Ramadan fast. He made this statement on Wednesday morning during an appearance on *Sunrise Daily*, a program on Channels Television.
Party chieftains from the South‑South and South‑East have called for the Senate presidency to be zoned to their regions, arguing that this would promote fairness and give other geopolitical zones a sense of belonging, especially in light of the party’s Muslim‑Muslim presidential ticket. The APC currently holds the highest number of senators in both chambers, and lawmakers have begun to throw their hats into the ring for the Senate President and Speaker positions. At present, at least eight senators have expressed interest in the Senate Presidency, including Senators Jibrin Barau (Kano Central), Sani Musa (Niger East), Orji Kalu (Abia North), GodsWill Akpabio (Akwa‑Ibom North‑West), Osita Izunaso (Imo West), Patrick Ndubueze (Imo North), Abdul’Aziz Yari (Zamfara West) and Ahmad Lawan (Yobe North), among others.
In March, President‑elect Bola Tinubu, Vice President‑elect Kashim Shettima, and party chairman Adamu Abdullahi met with the newly elected lawmakers and urged them to focus on winning governorship elections. The party indicated that another meeting would be convened after the governorship polls to present the zoning formula to the legislators. However, a month after the governorship elections, the APC had neither released the zoning plan nor held a follow‑up meeting, heightening tensions as debates continue over whether the party will still zone the 10th Assembly leadership.
Responding to the issue, Senator Basiru said, “I believe that our party will ultimately take a decision on the zoning possibly after Ramadan and certainly before June when the next Assembly will be convoked.” He noted that, beyond tribe and religion, other factors such as seniority, competence, capacity, and each zone’s contribution to Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential election should be considered in selecting National Assembly leaders. “It will be in the best interest of our party to zone the offices so that we can narrow the number of contestants, because when you have eight persons from a single political party contesting, it creates a problem for us to have a cohesive force going into the election,” he added.
Basiru also pointed out that the APC’s National Working Committee and National Executive Committee have not yet decided which of the six geopolitical zones will produce the next Senate President. “I’m not aware that the NWC of our party has taken a position on the issue of zoning and where the zoning will be done. I’m not aware that the NEC has taken any decision, but party leaders will be making a lot of permutations to ensure a seamless relationship between the executive and the legislative arms.”
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