NASS leadership: Zoning must not be swept under carpet – Umahi

Ebonyi State Governor, Dave Umahi, has again raised the importance of zoning principle in choosing leaders that would occupy positions in the 10th National Assembly, stressing that it was the only way of achieving equity and balance among the geo-political regions.

He directed his advice to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a party he dumped the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to join before the general elections, even as the party prepares for the gubernatorial elections slated for Saturday March 18.

Umahi, who is believed to be eyeing a leadership position in the Senate, got elected into the upper legislative chambers to represent Ebonyi South Senatorial District, recently.

According to him, only through zoning can the party ensure balance of power among the geo-political zones of the country.

The advice came shortly after he met behind closed doors with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja on Tuesday.

The governor disclosed that his mission to the seat of power was to thank President Buhari for naming the newly completed medical school in Ebonyi State after him (Umahi);

He further disclosed that he used the meeting to invite the President for commissioning of infrastructure projects in the state; including the new Ebonyi Airport, which he also wants the Federal Government to take over; as well to seek approach for conversion of Akanu Ibiam Polytechnic to a University of Science and Technology.

The governor spoke to the issue of zoning while responding to a question on the chances of the ruling APC, which has already returned the highest number of senators-elect, to zone the President of the Senate office to the Southeast region of the country.

“I’m a party man and very committed to decent process, the party and, of course, the President-elect directed that we shouldn’t talk about that yet, we should all go back and work for gubernatorial and State House of Assembly elections and I want to obey that directive not to talk about it.

“But I believe strongly that zoning must be done by the party, the party should not allow everybody to jump into the race and then in doing zoning, when the time comes, they must look at all the parameters so that we can carry all the regions along, this is very important.

“But I won’t want to say further because the party directed that we shouldn’t talk about it until we have done our elections. Just be assured that APC is getting very strong in the Southeast”, he said.