The House of Representatives has announced a postponement in the resumption of plenaries.
OsunDaily News understands the lawmakers were expected to resume plenary on Tuesday, 9th May but the date has been shifted to Tuesday, 16th May, 2023.
According to a statement on Monday by the clerk of the house, Dr Yahaya Danzaria, the shift in date is to allow the legislators to partake in the ongoing induction program of the 10th National Assembly.
“This is to inform all Hon Members and the general public that the House of Representatives will not resume plenary on Tuesday 9th May 2023 as earlier adjourned. The next adjourned date will be Tuesday 16th May 2023.
“This change is intended to allow Members to partake actively in the ongoing induction program of the 10th National Assembly. All inconveniences are highly regretted,” the statement reads.
Speakership Should Not Be Zoned
A House of Representatives member-elect, Joshua Chinedu Obika has warned that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would lose the Speakership of the 10th National Assembly if it decides to zone the seat.
Obika who was elected on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) to represent AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency added that the APC does not have numbers to decide who becomes the next Speaker of the House of Representatives on its own.
The lawmaker-elect who described the APC as the silent majority said without the opposition members, the APC can’t determine the next speaker of the House.
OsunDaily News understands he based his argument on the fact that the opposition parties, comprising the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and others have the majority in the House of Representatives with 180 members while APC has 178.
Two seats are pending – one in Akwa Ibom and another in Ondo state.
With this, Obika said the opposition has surpassed the APC and would definitely have a say in how and who emerges as Speaker at the end of the day.
