It is no longer news that some aspirants for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly have rejected the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidates for positions of the Senate President, Deputy Senate President, Speaker, and Deputy Speaker.
OsunDaily News recalls that the APC had on Monday zoned the Senate Presidency position to the South-South (Godswill Akpabio), Deputy Senate President to North-West (Jibrin Barau), Speakership to North-West (Tajudeen Abbas) and Deputy Speaker to South-East (Benjamin Kalu).
But in a bid to calm frayed nerves over the zoning arrangement, the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, is said to have expressed his preference for the North-Central to present the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF).
Sources disclosed to The Guardian that the decision was in line with Tinubu’s resolve to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of offices in the country.
The source said: “You will agree with me that this is another powerful position. As I speak to you, the President-elect will appoint somebody from the North Central zone after he is sworn into office by the end of the month.”
Meanwhile, the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives has expressed anger over the APC’s decision to anoint Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu as the Speaker, and Deputy Speaker, respectively.
The Minority Caucus of the House vowed to render the decision an exercise in futility.
The caucus, led by Nicholas Mutu, argued that they have the “Greater Majority,” with a combined members-elect tally of 183, as against the APC’s total of 177, to pick from among themselves the next Speaker of the House.
The caucus has put together an 11-man committee charged with the task of shortlisting, screening, and making eventual recommendations of aspirants for the Speakership and Deputy Speaker positions.
Members of the committee, drawn majorly from the different minority parties, include Abdulmumini Jibrin, Deputy Chairman (NNPP); Oluwole Oke (PDP), Gaza Jonathan Gbefwi (SDP), Beni Lar (PDP), Dr. Ali Isa JC (PDP), Kabiru Alhassan Rurum (NNPP), Donatus Mathew Kuzali (LP), Yusuf Salisu Majigirir (PDP), Nnabuife Chinwe Clara (YPP), Gwacham Maureen Chinwe (APGA), and Idris Salman (PDP).
