A new coalition of members-elect of the coming 10th House of Representatives in the minority political parties, Minority Parties Forum, has affirmed the zoning plan of the All Progressives Congress and adopted the ruling party’s candidates, Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu, for Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
The old minorities coalition, 10th Assembly: Greater Majority, however, failed to produce candidates to contest against those of the APC.
The 10th Assembly – Greater Majority and the Minority Parties Forum held separate meetings in Abuja on Monday night.
They are parallel coalitions of members-elect in the seven minority parties with elected members in the forthcoming 10th House.
While the 10th Assembly – Greater Majority held its meeting at Fraser Suites, the breakaway group, Minority Parties Forum, had its meeting at Transcorp Hilton.
The 10th Assembly – Greater Majority, which is allegedly rooting for the current Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Aliyu Betara, had said it was shopping for a candidate within the opposition camp to run against the candidates endorsed by the ruling APC.
However, Minority Parties Forum is backing the APC and its candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker.
In a communique issued after a closed-door meeting that lasted about one hour, the Minority Parties Forum adopted Abbas and Kalu for Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively.
Coordinator of the Minority Parties Forum, Iduma Igariwey (PDP/Ebonyi); and the Secretary, Alhassan Rurum (NNPP/Kano) signed the document.
Igariwey read out the resolutions after Tijani Abdulkareem (NNPP/Kano) moved the motion to adopt the APC candidates and Pascal Agbodike (APGA/Anambra) seconded the motion.
The communique read, “We, the members of the under listed political parties elected into the 10th Assembly of the House of Representatives, having reviewed the number and composition of the 10th Assembly and having considered the need for the minority parties to play an effective, crucial, and credible role in the composition of the leadership and running of the 10th Assembly, hereby resolve as follows:
“That we will be united and focused on the primary responsibility of the minority parties in the 10th Assembly, which is to provide a vibrant and credible opposition in Parliament for the entrenchment of good governance in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That we will severally and jointly work for the passage of laws and motions, which will promote the prosperity and wellbeing of Nigerians and advance the civil liberties and benefits entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“That in furtherance of our resolve to play a leading role in the formation of the leadership of the 10th Assembly, and as a result of our diligent interactions with all aspirants for the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, we hereby resolve to support the duo of the Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Rt. Hon Benjamin Kalu respectively as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“That we have found in the two persons of Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu, a leadership that will allow for fairness, equity as well as provide equal platform for all political parties represented in Parliament to have a say in the running of the legislature and expression of alternate views on issues of public interest.”
The forum further resolved that “in the next few days,” it would be meeting in “a larger caucus” of the minority parties to discuss and formalise the adoption of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker designates of the 10th Assembly of the House of Representatives.
“We urge other members elect of the 10th Assembly of the House of Representatives to join in the election of Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu as Speaker and Deputy Speaker on the 13th of June, 2023,” the forum added.
However, 10th Assembly – Greater Majority declared after its meeting that it had yet to produce any candidates or adopt one for the 10th House.
One of its spokesmen and secretary of a committee set up to shop for candidates within the opposition camp, Victor Ogene, made this known while addressing the gathering.
Ogene said, “I wish to report on behalf of the chairman of that committee and the entire members, that as at the end of the period given to undertake that assignment, no member of the minority caucus better known as The Greater Majority stepped forward to contest for the role of presiding officers. Deductively, this means that we are not bidding for those two positions. However, we remain united as one caucus of the opposition parties.
“We did also meet with those aspiring for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives, but because we have not briefed our members, I will not go into details of our interface. But I can assure you, everyone that put him or herself running for the position appear to be qualified.”
The coalition had on May 2, 2023, declared that it would, ultimately, seek to field candidates for the Offices of Speaker and Deputy Speaker from among its ranks.
According to the coalition, the move became necessary due to the “discordant tunes coming from the stable of the ruling APC.” The opposition members-elect said they resolved to step into the arena, by offering credible and alternative leadership options, as there are 183 members in the coalition while the ruling party has 177.
The 10th Assembly: Greater Majority had consequently set up an 11-man committee charged with the task of short listing, screening and eventual recommendation of aspirants for the speakership and deputy Speaker positions within one week.
The committee is made up of Nicholas Mutu (PDP) as Chairman, Victor Ogene (LP) as Secretary, and Abdulmumini Jibrin (NNPP) as Deputy Chairman. Others are Oluwole Oke, Jonathan Gbefwi, Beni Lar, Ali Isa, Alhassan Rurum, Mathew Kuzalio, Salisu Majigiri, Nnabuife Chinwe, Gwacham Maureen, and Idris Salman.
According to Ogene, who spoke to our correspondent on Saturday, some members of the 10th Assembly: Greater Majority have indicated interest in running for the leadership positions. He had also hinted that the opposition members might consider and adopt a candidate among the aspirants in the ruling APC.
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