Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex socio-cultural organization in the South-East has rejected the zoning formula earlier announced by the All Progressives Congress, APC, for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.
Recall that the National Working Committee of the ruling party had agreed to have the former Governor of Akwa Ibom state, Senator Godswill Akpabio for the position of Senate President, while Hon. Tajudeen Abass from Kaduna State was anointed as the next Speaker of the House of representatives.
The party also anointed Hon. Ben Kalu of Abia State for the position of Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
With the zoning formula, the party has jettisoned the ambition of some Southeastern Senators-elect to become the next president of the senate.
But Ohanaeze, in a statement issued on Friday by its National Publicity Secretary, Chiedozie Alex Ogbonnia, described the zoning of Deputy Speaker to the region as unreflective, disgusting and provocative.
The group urged all lawmakers from the region to vote according to their discretion irrespective of state, religion or ethnicity during the election.
The statement reads, “The Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide has watched with grave concern the zoning of principal officers of the Senate and the House of Representatives of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We have also observed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) zoned the position of the Deputy Speaker to the South East of Nigeria.
“The Ohanaeze Ndigbo states that allocating the position of the Deputy Speaker to the South East is highly unreflective, disgusting and provocative to the Igbo.
“To this end, the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide led by Chief Engr. Dr. Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu, CFR (Ahaejiagamba) directs all the Igbo Lawmakers in the 10th National Assembly to vote according to their discretion irrespective of state, religion or ethnicity.”