A chieftain of All Progressives Congress, APC and out-going senator representing Rivers South-East in the National Assembly, Senator Magnus Abe, has appealed to the leadership of the party not to jettison the zoning of political offices.

Abe, in a statement in Port Harcourt, said: “In a fragile democracy like ours, we can’t ignore a fundamental issue like zoning of political offices among component parts of a federal structure where every section expects to have a voice.

“Let us not wish away fairness, balance and national character in the occupation of strategic offices. Incidentally, there are capable hands with solid characters across the length and breadth of this country that can hold their own in every endeavour.”

Nigeria as a nation, the senator said, was yet to overcome ethnic and religious sentiments in political considerations, adding that disregard for geo-political zones and interest groups in the sharing of offices could be costly.

APC, he said, must remember that what destroyed the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was not zoning but non- adherence to the zoning principle as enshrined in the PDP constitution.

“We cannot suddenly claim not to believe in zoning because it was zoning  that gave birth to General Muhammadu Buhari from the North-West, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, South-West, and Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, South-South, as President, Vice President and party Chairman, respectively,” he said, adding that the zoning consideration assisted in facilitating APC’s victory at the presidential poll.