by Kolapo Olapoju

As a result of the failure of the All Progressives Congress to agree on zoning of offices, the Peoples Democratic Party is reportedly plotting to seize control of the National Assembly.

On Thursday, April 23, during a meeting held in Abuja, the APC leaders could not arrive at a consensus regarding the zoning of political offices, in spite of reports that the National Working Committee of the party had recommended some zoning arrangements to its National Executive Committee.

It is believed that the PDP caucuses in the upper and lower chambers of the National Assembly were scheming to gain from the indecisiveness and internal squabbles in the APC.

The caucuses aim to form an alliance with the disgruntled elements in the new-ruling party and work towards the emergence of speaker and a senate president that is different from candidates approved by the APC.

Consequently, the PDP hopes that by working towards the emergence of its choice as the speaker and the senate president, it could take the control of the National Assembly from the APC.

A member of the PDP caucus in the House of representatives, speaking anonymously, said: “Although we are not disputing the fact that the APC should produce leaders of the National Assembly, we will ensure that those who will emerge are people we prefer, not the choices of the APC leaders.

“By doing that, we will snatch the control of the National Assembly from them, just as the APC controlled the House through Aminu Tambuwal.”

As it stands, the Senate is made up of 109 Senators, and the PDP now has 49 senators against APC’s majority of 60 Senators.

As a result of this development in the Senate, the PDP has lost its power to produce the Senate President, the Deputy Senate President as well as the Senate Leader.

The party will also lose the position of the Senate Chief Whip now being held by Senator Bello Hayatu Gwarzo as all the four top positions will go to the APC.

However, there is a high risk for the APC in throwing open the contest for the leadership positions.

The danger in this move is that a united PDP with 46 members can still produce the Senate President by supporting a single candidate.

But this can only happen if the 60 APC Senators split their votes along two or more members contesting for the position.