Speakership: Opposition form alliance, gang-up against APC
As Orji Kalu, Wase, Doguwa Oppose APC’s Endorsement of Akpabio for Senate President
The opposition parties in the House of Representatives that includes PDP, Labour Party and others have set up a committee to screen and select candidates to run for the leadership of the parliament in a bid to outsmart the ruling All Progressives Congress.
In a statement on Monday, they announced Nicholas Mutu as Chairman and Victor Ogene as secretary of the 11-man committee.
The statement, signed by Mr Ogene and three other caucus members, said the committee had one week to turn in its report. The legislators-elect, drawn from eight parties, otherwise known as the ‘Greater Minority’, claimed that with 183 members, they could produce the speaker against the 173 All Progressives Congress (APC) members.
The APC dominates the House of Representatives with 175 seats, the PDP has 118, and the Labour Party controls 35 seats. The NNPP has 19 seats. APGA has five seats, SDP and ADC have two seats each, and the YPP has one seat.
“Based on the common pact which our respective political parties have with the Nigerian people, which is to hold the government accountable to the people, we resolved to step into the arena by offering credible and alternative leadership options,” the statement explained.
It added, “In keeping with this resolve, the ‘Greater Majority’ of the 10th House of Representatives has put together an 11-man committee – complemented by a chairman and secretary – charged with the task of shortlisting, screening and eventual recommendation of aspirants for the speakership and deputy speaker positions.”
Meanwhile, it appears all is not well with the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), as the official party endorsement of Senator Godswill Akpabio for the position of Senate President and Hon. Abass Tajudeen for the Speaker of the House of Representatives is meeting stiff opposition by its own members.
The opposition of the party’s stance on Monday night by Senator Orji Uzor Kalu of Abia State and the current House of Reps Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase, and Majority Leader, Alhasan Doguwa, was based on the fact of fairness, equity and justice.
Disclosing the outcome of Monday meeting in a statement issued by the party’s spokesman, Felix Morka, “The National Working Committee of the All Progressives Congress (APC) met today, Monday, May 8, 2023 to consider reports of consultations and meetings held with the President-Elect, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, other Party leaders and stakeholders on zoning arrangement for 10th National Assembly leadership positions.
“The NWC called for further and better consultation with necessary stakeholders in order to assure the support of the aspirants to the National Assembly leadership positions and members of the Party nationwide.”
It said the zoning arrangement reported to the NWC is, “Senate President – South South – Senator Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom).
“Deputy Senate President – North West – Senator Barau Jubrin (Kano).”
For the Speaker, the statement said, “Speaker, House of Representatives – North West – Hon. Abass Tajudeen (Kaduna)
“Deputy Speaker – South East – Hon. Ben Kalu (Abia)
“We urge our party leaders, members and all Nigerians to continue to work for peace and progress of our country during and beyond the current period of leadership transition,” the party said.
Meanwhile the APC has 59 senators-elect in the 10th Assembly while the opposition parties have 50.
A winner can only emerge by scoring majority of the votes. The assembly would be inaugurated in June after the inauguration of the new president.
Rejecting the party’s endorsement, Kalu, on Monday, demanded that he should rather be endorsed based on equity, justice and fairness to the South East region, and urged his co-senators-elect to consider him for the position of senate president.
According to Kalu, he has written personally to 108 senators-elect and APC members seeking their support to become the next Senate President.
Speaking in a statement issued by his media office, Kalu attributed his seeming lack interest in the senate president contest to his wife’s recent demise and the need to take time off to mourn her.
His letter to the party leaders reads: “It is with a deep sense of joy and humility that I bring you warm greetings and that of Abia North Senatorial zone.
“My emergence as the Senator to represent Abia North in this critical time in the history of our dear nation comes with huge responsibilities, top of which is to make quality laws for the good governance of our people.
“To be able to achieve these enviable goals, we require good leaders who will pilot the affairs of the 10th Senate.
“Leadership of a sophisticated Senate at the 10th Session will need men and women with abundance of shared vision, consensus building, charisma, credibility, and pragmatism in the saddle.
“This is why I most humbly write to officially inform you of my interest to be elected the next Senate President.
“I make this offer to serve you and the Nigerian people with sincerity of heart, humility, and candour. The biggest asset I bring to the table is wisdom and experience garnered over the years in the management of human and material resources.
“I promise to work for you, promote and defend the constitution and the party, and foster a congenial and cordial relationship between the party, the executive and judiciary.
“One thing is indubitably certain: working together in unity and mutual love and respect, we can take Nigeria to real next level of peace, progress, and development.”
However, some of the aspirants for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly have equally rejected the party’s consensus candidates for positions of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.
At a press conference on Monday night, the current House of Reps Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase, and Majority Leader, Alhasan Doguwa, rejected the consensus arrangement announced by the party on Monday.
But speaking when they attended the official declaration of one of the Speakership aspirants, Aliyu Betara, Wase and Doguwa said they would not allow the 10th National Assembly to be “hijacked” and made a “lame duck” by their party’s leadership.
The trio and one other lawmaker have now formed a new group of members-elect known as the G-4, vowing to proceed with their separate bids for Speaker position.
In his speech, Doguwa, who represents Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency of Kano State, said while he doesn’t consider his ambition a “do or die” affair, members of the Green Chamber must be allowed to elect their leaders without interference.
“My respected colleagues, the leader of the 9th House of Representatives, I would like to first of all put on record that I’m still an aspirant for the office of the Speakership of the 10 House of Representatives, God willing.
“Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I’m also here on the personal invitation of my friend, a colleague and a brother who is also running for the same office. I think I’m under obligation to honor his invitation because of his humility. He’s one person that we respect in the house, that we always address him as the shock absorber.
“…my contest is not about a do or die affair, wherever God gives to (the Speaker position), I will be a progressive ally to work with him and I will expect (that) if God gives to me, everyone will join me to work together.
“But one message that I have to put across is that the Parliament, in this case the House of Representatives, or by extension the National Assembly is one special institution that must always be allowed to walk out its own business by itself.
Doguwa said, “the business of our leadership should be solely our business and not any other person’s business. The way and manner members that operate under a platform of first among equals, members that operate on the platform of equal members representing equal constituencies, constitutionally, must be respected as an institution.
“In a situation whereby you have some other people in whatever guise or whatever name trying to define or determine how or where or when our leadership or who should form part of leadership from outside without consulting us, I think that should be seen as a mere failure.
Inclusion in politics is very key and important, I remain very available to my party for consultation and inclusion and only if that is done then definitely everyone will answer his father’s name. My name is Honourable Ado Doguwa and I’m still contesting for the Speakership of the House of Representatives.”
Also, Wase, who is the current Deputy Speaker and member representing Wase Federal Constituency of Plateau State, questioned how the APC NWC arrived at its consensus candidates without consulting with elected members of the party in the lower legislative chamber.
“We are here to ensure the independence of the Parliament, to ensure that we work as a family. What we are witnessing today, we have never seen that kind of moment and that is why every Parliamentarian must rise to the occasion to defend that institution.
“We will not allow this Parliament to be disgraced, we will not allow this Parliament to be hijacked (and) we will not allow this Parliament to be made a lame duck.
“When you say you have a consensus candidate, the language for consensus is very simple. It means then that there has been maybe massive consultation, people were brought to table for discussion and that’s an agreement. In this case, we just saw and we’re hearing speculations that some people have been made consensus candidates. I don’t know whether that is the meaning of consensus.
“I’m a democrat, I came to the Parliament in 2007 and by the grace of God I’m into my 5th time (in the House) and I give glory to God.
“This place is very sacred, it is honourable and that’s why we’re called honourable members.
“We must be honourable in our dealings, our actions and activities, in defence of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“We know that it is only one person that will eventually emerge but the best out of us must emerge…we will defeat those forces that think Nigeria is in their pockets,” he said.
Among those present at the press conference was the Princess Miriam Onuoha of Okigwe North Federal Constituency of Imo State who is also contesting for the Speaker position.
