With less than 7 days to the Inauguration of the 10th Assembly on June 13, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has met with Members-elect and Senators-elect on the need to stand by the decision of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu for Speaker and deputy speaker respectively.
The president reassured that his administration remains firm on the choices of candidates for presiding officers’ by the leadership of the party
Tinubu stated this on Wednesday night at the presidential villa in Abuja, when he met with Senators-elect and Members-elect of the APC, APC Governors and other leaders of the party in attendance.
Details emerging from the meeting which was scheduled for 7:30pm on Wednesday revealed that Tinubu spoke firmly on the need to work for the victory of the APC’s candidates for the 10th National Assembly leadership.
A source privileged to be at the meeting confirmed to Newsmen that “the President appealed/begged them to work for Akpabio, Abbas, Barau and Kalu respectively.
“He said the success of his administration largely depends on whether or not he gets it right with the leadership of the National Assembly”.
The source said the President further urged the lawmakers to see reasons with him, as he said “the candidates were chosen for the stability of the nation.”
Those in attendance among the speakership aspirants were: the immediate past Chairmen of the House Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Muktar Betara Aliyu from Borno, Commitee on Navy, Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi from Plateau, Committee on People With Disability, Hon. Miriam, Onuoha from Imo, as well as Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Sada Soli from Katsina.
The source stated, “However, the Immediate past Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase from Plateau, and Aminu Sani Jaji from Zamfara were conspicuously absent, despite getting invitation for the meeting”.
It would be recalled that Wase had said during the House valedictory session on Wednesday that he would go ahead to contest for the Speaker’s seat because it has been prophesied that he would become Speaker.
Wase stated this after the House Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa (APC,Kano) pleaded with other aspirants to stepdown for the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate, Tajuddeen Abbas.
However, Wase who spoke immediately after Doguwa said, as a democrat who believes in contest, he was determined to continue with the race until the end.
He added that, his contest is in the pursuit of a prophecy by the former governor of old Plateau State, late Solomon Lar who predicted his coming to the House of Representatives and becoming the Deputy Speaker and possibility of his Speakership.
“Of course, I want to appreciate my political leaders, among whom I would say is Solomon Lar, who, when I was contesting in 2007, I went to him and he prophesied the number of times I will come to this Assembly and I will tell this crowd and to the world, that he said, I will come to the Assembly in the number of times and prophesied even the number of leadership that I will attain and the Deputy Speakership and he prophesied next when I return, and I believe I will be Speaker and I believe, In sha Allah, I will be the Speaker of the Green Chambers,” Wase
As at the time of the report, is yet to ascertain how many candidates would be contesting the position of Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives with the APC anointed candidate Hon. Tajudeen Abbas as Wase has insisted he would go to the floor to contest despite the President’s appeal for others to step down.
