Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase, yesterday officially declared to contest the speakership of the 10th House.
Wase and six other aspirants had rejected the decision of the ruling party which endorsed Tajudeen Abbas from Kaduna State as the preferred choice for the position.
The deputy speaker said his intention to run for the speakership of the incoming 10th assembly was to evolve a virile and truly independent legislature.
Wase’s promise was contained in his 10-point agenda he publicly unveiled while declaring his intention to run for the office.
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He said that should he win the election expected to be conducted on the inauguration of the 10th national assembly on June 13, his administration will focus on general orientation and image rebranding of the National Assembly; ensuring a true people’s parliament; creating an efficient and innovative parliament; approaching nation building as a joint task irrespective of the political affiliation, tribe or religion; strong and independent parliament; law and order and strong legislative oversight.
Wase while making a case for the North Central geopolitical zone recalled that since the return of democracy in 1999, the zone where he hails from has not produced the speaker.
He appealed to the power brokers to cede to the police the zone, adding that it was his turn.
“At this point, I will use the words of my leader, emilokan emilokan, emilokan,” Wase said.
In their goodwill messages, other speakership aspirants, Rt.Hon Mukhtar Betara (Borno State); Rt.Hon Jaji (Zamfara State); Rt. Hon Sada Soli (Katsina State); Rt. Hon Princess Mariam Onuoha (Imo State) and Rt. Hon. Yusuf Gagdi from Plateau State who made up the Group 7 (G7) of aggrieved lawmakers protesting the nomination of Hon. Tajudeen Abass by the APC as its preferred candidate, said they will support one of them to contest for the office.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives – Abbas Tajuddeen APC Kaduna) and Benjamin Kalu (APC Abia) alongside members of the Joint Task-10th Assembly had met with the Vice President-Elect, Senator Kashim Shettima in Abuja yesterday.
The visit was part of the move to address the issues regarding the rejection of the party’s zoning arrangement and choice of candidates for the House leadership by some of the aspirants.
The delegation consisting of members-elect spread across parties met with Shettima at his campaign office.
Speaking, chairman, Joint Task-10th Assembly, Usman Bello Kumo (APC Gombe) who led the delegation, informed Shettima that the group which consists of members across all the political parties with members-elect was initially not aligned with any candidate.
He however stated that, since inception, they have resolved to go with whatever the APC decides on the way to go in the election of the leadership of the incoming 10th Assembly.
According to him, the main objective was to ensure that there is a rancour free 10th Assembly for good governance to thrive by ensuring that the resolution of the ruling party is implemented.
Responding, the Vice President-Elect, Kashim Shettima who appreciated the efforts of the lawmakers to ensure a rancour free emergence of the National Assembly leadership, promised to lend his voice and efforts to address the issues.
Shettima also promised that he would do everything possible to reach out to the other aspirants to hear their grievances and chart a way forward.
