National Assembly: Anointed candidates put pressure on APC govs to ask aggrieved aspirants for forgiveness

By Coic Chibueze On May 14, 2023

The chosen candidates have started taking steps to persuade their colleagues to agree with the ruling party’s position as opposition to the APC’s decision to zone the leadership positions of the two chambers of the National Assembly to specific lawmakers continues to grow.

Sen. Godswill Akpabio, who was chosen as the 10th Senate’s president of the Senate by the APC and the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, reportedly promised other candidates for the position who were upset by his selection that they would lead Senate committees that were deemed to be “juicy.”

It was discovered that Akpabio had spoken with some of those who weren’t in favor of him getting the job.

The former governor of Akwa Ibom State, who is alleged to be aware of the plot against him, allegedly made a promise that he would remember his rivals while serving on committees in the upcoming Senate.

Additionally, it was reported that Senator Kashim Shettima, the vice president-elect, met with Akpabio to discuss the necessity of involving his fellow senators in the administration of the Senate once he assumes office.

Because of the delicate nature of the subjects at hand, a source close to Akpabio said on condition of anonymity, “You know that Akpabio is not new to power play. At the time he served as minority leader, a first-time senator could not hold the position of principal officer.

He works well with others. He has mastered the fundamentals, and I can confirm that he has spoken with some of those openly opposing him. Giving them excellent positions in the various committees is a part of the plan.

The source stated that the former governor would be in Lagos today (Sunday) for important stakeholder meetings.

Tajudeen Abass, the APC-endorsed candidate for speaker, and Benjamin Kalu, the party’s preferred candidate for deputy speaker, are subtly pressuring state governors who were chosen on the party’s platform to persuade other lawmakers to support them in the House of Representatives.

On Saturday, Abass and Kalu traveled to Lagos State to continue their campaign for the top spots in the Green Chamber. There, they met with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and other members of the Joint Task Team, and they pleaded with him to endorse their candidacy to his fellow governors and appease other irate candidates who have objected to the ruling party’s imposition of them.

Speaking to the governor, Abass said that the unity of the nation and the House was at the top of his priority list and that his team was made up of members-elect from various political parties.

The lawmaker emphasized that the President-elect, whom he described as a unifying leader, needed detribalized Nigerians to be in charge of affairs in the legislature in order to heal the country, claiming that the recent general elections caused more divisions in the country.

“Our goal is to ensure that the nation is united to face the current challenges,” he declared. We take on this responsibility of steering the House in order to establish a cordial and constructive working relationship between the executive and the legislature.

“We will make sure that disagreements are resolved through communication where they arise. The House’s stability is inviolable. Particularly from various participants in this race, we will mend the wound.

In order to ensure a smooth election of presiding officers in the National Assembly, Abass urged Sanwo-Olu to get in touch with governors and other candidates. He also vowed not to let the party and his forerunners down.

According to Kalu, a House led by Abass would foster institutional confidence in the 10th National Assembly and ensure that its decisions represented the interests of all Nigerians.

Bello Kumo, the Joint Task Team’s leader and a representative of Gombe State’s Akko Federal Constituency, asserted that the leadership under Abass would not jeopardize the independence of the House.

Additionally, he urged Sanwo-Olu to inform his fellow governors of the importance of supporting the Abass agenda.

The governor responded by saying that the 10th National Assembly’s leadership must reflect the diversity of the nation and referred to both chambers as “people’s houses.”

Sanwo-Olu noted that there is frequently fierce competition for the top positions in the parliament, pitting members against one another. However, she argued that the goal of the race for the presiding seats should be to reflect the interests and aspirations of the populace.

The governor cautioned Abass and his team not to assume anything about any member-elect, saying that the country’s unity came before any aspirations for the speakership.

Read Also: APC to punish its members who Sabotaged Tinubu in Anambra

“This race to elect leaders in the House of Representatives should reflect the true federal composition and political diversity of the nation,” Sanwo-Olu said. Today, I witnessed representatives from various political parties and regions working cooperatively to choose the Speaker. I implore you to go further in your engagement and to extend a hand of camaraderie to each and every member.

“I’ve noticed that despite having the party’s backing, you’re not taking things for granted or leaving anything to chance. I implore you to make sure your participation is complete, open, and inclusive. Other candidates are more than capable of handling the same engagement. They will be introduced to the group for conversation because we are familiar with them. As soon as the House meets, we want to make sure that the party’s position is respected and adopted.

Shettima encounters hopefuls

Alternate candidates for the opposition

The candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker will be announced this week by the 10th Assembly: Greater Majority, a coalition of members-elect from minority political parties in the House of Representatives.

On Saturday, we learned that some opposition party members were considering running for leadership positions.

On Saturday, there were hints that the opposition members might, as an alternative, consider and support one of the APC candidates running for Speaker.

On May 2, 2023, the coalition announced that it would eventually try to field candidates for the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker from among its members.

As a result, the 10th Assembly’s Greater Majority established an 11-person committee with a week to narrow down, interview, and recommend candidates for the speaker and deputy speaker positions.

Nicholas Mutu (of the Peoples Democratic Party) serves as committee chairman. Victor Ogene (of the Labor Party) serves as secretary, and Abdulmumini Jibrin (of the New Nigeria People’s Party) serves as vice chairman.

Others include Idris Salman, Nnabuife Chinwe, Jonathan Gbefwi, Beni Lar, Ali Isa, Alhassan Rurum, Mathew Kuzalio, Oluwole Oke, and Beni Gbefwi.

Ogene informed a reporter on Saturday that the coalition members had until Saturday night to declare their interest, and that the candidates would be announced this week.

It was originally an 11-man panel, but now there are 13 members total, including the chairman and secretary. We are 13 years old. Just a short while ago (on Saturday), I posted a notice on our WhatsApp platform asking interested members of our fold to submit their applications for consideration by midnight; following that, by Sunday, we should inform the house of the position’s details. The interaction with the potential candidates ought to come to a close tonight.

The secretary, however, chose not to disclose the number or names of the applicants who had expressed interest in the positions.

Sources in the opposition camp, however, suggested that the minority members-elect might choose one of the APC candidates who felt wronged.

On the condition of anonymity, a PDP member told one of our correspondents that the coalition had fractured because some of its arrowheads may now be working for the APC camp in the House.

“There is a rift between us. Before this coalition was formed, some of us had the APC’s top candidates. We may go back to our original positions now that we have already seen some of the coordinators with their preferred candidates, the lawmaker suggested.

If the opposition was unable to field electable challengers to the candidates of the ruling party, Ogene confirmed that the coalition might choose one of the APC candidates.

Nothing is fixed in stone. Even APC candidates are showing up to events outside of their own political party. So, politics is involved. We are conversing with them, and they are conversing with us. However, that depends on who is speaking. We are known for our leadership. Don’t forget that communicating with APC speakership candidates is a part of the committee’s mandate. Therefore, that is proceeding concurrently with our own search for candidates, he said.

Ogene responded, “Why not? ” when asked if opposition supporters might eventually adopt APC candidates. We won’t go and import a Speaker from outside the members-elect if, in the end, those who have expressed interest withdraw those interests or don’t even show up. We will discuss the manifestos and the suitability of each candidate for the APC as a caucus as well, and then we will choose one candidate to support.

On Wednesday, it was claimed that the disgruntled candidates had banded together to oppose the adopted candidates of the ruling party. Additionally, they have established the G-7 group with the intention of supporting some of them in their campaign against Abbas and Kalu.

The leading candidates for speaker, some of whom are in the 9th House’s current leadership, opposed the APC’s announcement of consensus candidates without proper consultation with chamber stakeholders.

There is also discontent in the House over the APC’s choice to give the North-West two of the four presiding positions while giving the North-Central none.