[dropcap]P[/dropcap]resident Muhammadu Buhari and All Progressives Congress(APC) leaders will meet after the governorship poll to decide the zoning formula for sharing power at the National Assembly, a source said yesterday.
President Buhari has, however, told his strategists that “he won’t be a bystander this time around”. He said he will be involved in the talks and intrigues on the election of principal officers of the National Assembly.
The APC said it will also play an active role in choosing the new leaders of the Assembly.
According to the results of the National Assembly released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), APC won 65 of the 109 senatorial seats, representing about 59.6%. PDP won 42 senatorial seats(40.3%) and Young Progressives Party (YPP) got one (1%).
As for the House of Representatives, APC won over 230 of the 360 seats, leaving PDP with over 100 slots.
The horse-trading has started among the senators-elect and representatives-elect.
Leading the agitation for principal offices in the Senate are Senators-elect from the North-East, North-Central, South-South, and South-West.
Some of those aspiring for Senate President are Senate Leader Ahmad Lawan; former Senate Leader Ali Ndume; former Gombe State Governor and outgoing Committee on Appropriation Chairman Danjuma Goje, Parliamentary Support Group (PSG) Chairman and ex-Governor Adamu Abdullahi and Sen. Ovie Omo-Agege.
Some of the seven ranking senators from the Southwest are already jostling for either Deputy Senate President or Senate Leader or Deputy Senate Leader.
The House of Representatives Speaker may come from the Southwest, with the outgoing Majority Leader, Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, as a leading candidate. He will have a repeat match against Speaker Yakubu Dogara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The APC has not decided on whether or not to retain its pre-2015 poll power sharing formula.
Some party leaders are said to be pushing for a review of the zoning system since the President has promised an all-inclusive government.