Sharon said zoning the office of the speaker in the coming 10th National Assembly to the North-Central geopolitical zone would serve as reward for “loyalty and faith” in APC’s ideology.
Wase is from Plateau State in the North-Central.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Sharon noted that “an overwhelming majority of Nigerians have kept faith with the governing APC by handing the party continuity in the presidency and a comfortable majority in both chambers of the National Assembly.”
The call is coming as the national leadership of the APC and the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, have scheduled a closed-door meeting with lawmakers-elect over the zoning of leadership positions in the Senate and the House.
While Tinubu is from the South-West, the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima, is from the North-East.
However, aspirants for the National Assembly leadership positions, especially President of the Senate and Speaker of the House, have been emerging from across the six zones.
The APC-PCC member, therefore, wants the ruling party to zone the speakership position to the North-Central.
Sharon said, “For any honest observer, as well as any good student of Nigeria’s developmental history, the party’s triumph at the polls is well-earned because the party’s achievements in office, especially in the provision of infrastructure and growth of local productivity, are unprecedented. And these achievements are the result of the progressive collaboration and support given the Executive branch by the leadership and members of the National Assembly who are majorly of the APC.
“With the party set to commence another journey of leading the country into another phase of development, and considering also that certain key national leadership offices will be zoned to respective geopolitical zones, it becomes imperative to call on the national leadership of the APC to, as a matter of principle and honour, zone the position of the Office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the 10th Assembly to the North Central geopolitical zone. And if it does that, it should also kindly throw its weight behind Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, the current Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, to become the next Speaker.
“Zoning the Office of Speaker to the North-Central region and supporting Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase to occupy the office should be considered an exercise of recognition and reward for loyalty and sacrifice.”
According to him, since the 2015 general elections to date, a significant section of the North-Central has maintained an unalloyed support for the APC, “and it will be just and noble to appreciate this support and loyalty by ceding this important national office to them so that the party can expand and maintain its hold in the region.”
Sharon added that the Deputy Speaker had consistently shown that “he is a perfect example of what loyalty and respect for the APC ought to be.” He said while Wase had always toed the party’s line on all matters, he had demonstrated his “panache for excellent congressional leadership” by how he had deputised the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila.
“It is, therefore, easy to fathom that he can resolutely lead the next House to help the party achieve more wins for the Nigerian people,” Sharon added.
