Southeast APC wants review of NASS positions zoning

•Says Igbo deserve more rewards
•Kalu calls for sanctions against leaders indicted for anti-party activities

Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Southeast yesterday told the leadership of the party that the zone deserves more rewards than the APC’s subsisting zoning of principal offices in the 9th National Assembly is offering.

They asked that the present arrangement be reviewed in a more equitable manner that would accord more deserving positions to the Southeast.

The APC Southeast leaders in a communiqué at the end of a meeting in Enugu urged the national leadership of the party to draw strength from the need “to utilize the zoning of principal offices in the 9th National Assembly to further deepen and strengthen the electoral appeal of the party, especially in parts of the country where it may be considered as weak.”


A former governor of Abia State, Dr. Orji Kalu, speaking at the meeting, called for sanctions against APC leaders from the zone who allegedly negotiated 25% for President Muhammadu Buhari from the Southeast in the last presidential election.

In the communiqué read by APC national vice chairman, Southeast, Emma Eneukwu, the party stakeholders said that since democracy is a dynamic process, the party should remain a truly national political party with broad based support in all parts of the country, the Southeast inclusive.

The stakeholders deplored in strong terms, what they called “the undue interference and unwholesome meddlesomeness by forces by forces from outside the zone in the affairs of the Southeast of our great party aimed at factionalising and destabilizing the party in the zone.”

Present at the meeting were Science and Technology Minister Ogbonnaya Onu; Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige; Director General of the Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu; Nkeiru Onyejeocha and Chile Okafor both aspirants to the Speakership of the House of Representatives.

Others include Senator Chris Adighije, Dr. Orji Kalu, Chief Uche Ogah, General J. O. J. Okoloagu (rtd), Dr Emeka Worgu, and a host of others.

The stakeholders at the end set up a contact (lobby) committee to reach out to other zones of the country with regards to their demand.

The committee is headed by Dr Ogbonnaya Onu with Dr. Ngige, Geoffrey Onyeama, Azubuike Udah, Senator Chris Nwankwo, Mrs Ugo Okoye and Austin Chukwukere as members

A reconciliation committee was also set up to be headed by Emeka Worgu while Sunny Onyeukwu would serve as secretary.