And Four Other Things...

There was a lot of drama on Saturday as APC senators-elect flexed their muscles on who the next senate president should be. At the end of their retreat, they were divided between Bukola Saraki and Ahmad Lawan. Saraki says he has 35 APC senators behind him. The magic figure is 55. APC has 63 senators while PDP boasts of 46. If Saraki gets 20 PDP senators to back him, he will be home and dry. Lawan has not yet given us his own figure, but PDP senators could eventually break the deadlock if APC can’t settle for a consensus. Tricky. I am amused each time I hear APC chieftains say the party doesn’t believe in zoning and that national assembly positions will be filled on “merit”. Is there is any part of Nigeria that does not have competent candidates if an office is zoned to them? Does zoning preclude merit? And if indeed APC does not believe in zoning, why did it pick Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, a southerner, as the vice-presidential candidate to a northerner? After all, Malam Rabiu Kwankwaso came second at the primary and could logically be Buhari’s running mate! This grandstanding over zoning is really comical. Hypocrisy.