Speakership: Doguwa, 5 other aspirants step down for Abbas, Kalu

Six aspirants for the speakership and deputy speakership of the 10th House of Representatives have stepped down to support the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidates, Tajuddeen Abbas, and Benjamin Kalu.

They are, House Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa; Kwara lawmaker, Abdulraheem Olawuyi, and Abubakar Makki Yelleman from Jigawa State.

Also, three deputy speakership aspirants, Abiola Makinde (APC-Ondo), Francis Waive (APC-Delta) and Julius Ihonvere (APC- Edo) have stepped down for the party’s anointed candidate, Benjamin Okezie Kalu.

They made their decision known at the Joint Task-10th Assembly meeting in Abuja Wednesday night.

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Speakership: Doguwa, 5 other aspirants step down for Abbas, Kalu

The meeting was attended by the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the 10th Senate president consensus candidate, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

Doguwa who spoke on behalf of the other two candidates said, they decided to step down for the APC’s choice to respect the party and align with the preferred candidate for the speakership seat.

“We are of the opinion that the selection process of Rt Hon. Tajuddeen Abbas was not in any way biased. We are also quite aware that the person of Tajuddeen Abbas and, of course, his running mate, the deputy speakership candidate, are qualified to hold their respective offices,” he said.

Recall that Doguwa and six other aspirants; the deputy speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase; Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, Sani Jaji, Sada Soli, Abubakar, Yusuf Adamu Gagdi, Miriam Onuoha had rejected the choice of Tajuddeen Abbas as the APC’s preferred candidate.

Earlier, the speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, said although it was a painful decision taken by the APC to adopt a consensus candidate,  there were other considerations taken before arriving at the choice made which he said was the best for the party and the country.

On his part, the APC speakership consensus candidate, Tajuddeen Abbas, urged the members-elect to assess all the aspirants including him, and make their decisions.

In his remark, the APC’s deputy speakership consensus candidate, Benjamin Kalu, called on the members-elect to support their bid, adding that there was a need for collective efforts to actualise the vision envisaged by the party.

In a brief remark, the APC’s Senate president’s consensus candidate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, called on the members-elect to make an informed decision in choosing the leadership of the 10th House of Representatives.

By Itodo Daniel Sule & Balarabe Alkassim