All Progressives Congress (APC) lawmakers from the North-Central and South-East zones yesterday rejected the nominees of the party into the vacant positions of the four principal officers in the House of Representatives.

APC has in a letter to the speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara nominated Femi Gbajabiamila (South-West), as the House leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa (North-West) as deputy House leader, while Mohammed Tahir Monguno (North-East) to serve as chief whip and Paly Iriase (South-South) as deputy chief whip.

But this formula of the party quickly drew the anger of the two caucuses, excluded from leadership positions of the House and condemned the party's action by vowing to reject "injustice" through all means.

Leader of the North-Central caucus of the House, Ahman Aliyu Pategi (Kwara) said in a press conference that the region has viewed "with utter disbelief and amazement the purported letter published in the news media stating that the party's position was taken after due consultation."

Pategi said as a caucus, which comprises over 50 APC lawmakers in the House, they were never consulted by the party.

The lawmakers said it has been the tradition of the House that after the election of the speaker and his deputy, other zones fill in the remaining principal offices, to represent all the six geo-political zones in the six positions.

"We are also amazed by the directive of the party to the leadership 'to take necessary action' on the purported choice made by the party, which we see as a clear usurpation of the powers of the zonal caucuses and their members.

"We therefore strongly reject the purported selection by the party which we see as being in conflict with the principle of federal character as enshrined in the constitution of the federal republic," said the members.

Similarly, the only two APC members from the South east in the House, Chike Okafor and Chukukere Austin, kicked against the position of the party in sharing the principal officers position.

The duo, both from Imo state, said they were surprised at the way the party threw away the spirit of equity and fairness in ceding the remaining four positions to regions that have already secured high offices in the House.

Okafor said what the party ought to have done was to cede to the region more positions as a way of wooing the people of the South-East, instead of further detaching the little presence of the party in the region.

This is coming a day after another caucus of the House, South-South, threatened go against the party in what the caucus said was a seeming marginalisation in the sharing of the principal officer's positions.