New Telegraph

2023: APC’ll retain power only if… – Fashola

  … Says zoning is unconstitutional 

Johnchuks Onuanyim, Abuja

The Minister of Works and Housing Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Tuesday said it is dependent on the All Progressives Congress (APC) keeping to it promises for it to hold on to power beyond 2023.  
Fashola also said the issue of zoning being canvassed in many quarters is unconstitutional. 
According to him, the issue of zoning of the Presidency that has taken the centre stage of discuss in the APC and other political parties is not provided by the constitution. 
The minister, who engaged the journalists covering the APC in his office in Abuja, however, said that political party could also agree on where to situate a political office. 
He submitted that the issue of his party retaining power beyond 2023 would be a matter of its performance. 
He said: “To retain power in 2023, certainly if we keep our promises, is that simple. That’s politics. If you do what you said you will do even if you don’t do 100% and they see that you are making progress, they will even want you to finish some what you started. Our opposition has to think better than us inorder to defeat us, right now they are not doing that. When it’s election time they should come and meet us.”
Speaking on zoning, the former governor of Lagos said: “First let’s talk about law, let’s talk about  agreement, the law is the constitution. Constitution decides the age which you can contest certain offices and there is nothing in the constitution that says zoning. All are political parties are clubs where you write agreements just like a social club and we can decide that it is the youngest person who will be the chairman of the club or we can decide that it is the oldest person or the next female or the next male, that is the matter of agreement between people. But the constitution that sets up the climate of political parties formation does not prescribe zoning.
“The truth is that what makes an agreement specification is the honour in which it is made not whether it is written. If it was written there would be no Court cases of breach of contract because it’s document that is written and signed that go to court.  But the private agreement you make with your brother and sister can be breached.”
The Minister also spoke about the crisis in APC, as he said those elected as national officers should be allowed to work. 

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