Plot by House of Representatives members-elect from seven opposition political parties to hijack the position of speaker or deputy speaker from the All Progressives Congress (APC) may be in tatters already.

The Reps-elect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party, (LP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) Social Democratic Party (SDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Young Progressive Party (YPP) are having difficulty in agreeing on a consensus candidate from their rank, The Nation gathered last night.

The APC anointed pair for the positions, Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu, yesterday met Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in continuation of their campaign ahead of next month’s election in the National Assembly.

Also yesterday, one of the aspirants to the position of Senate President, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari, asked incoming senators to partner with President-elect Bola Tinubu, and their constituencies with a view to engendering development.

The opposition parties have a combined strength of 182 votes against APC’s 178.

Their calculation is that they can use their numerical superiority to sponsor or back a candidate of their choice for the position of Speaker or deputy speaker.

They have even formed a group called Greater Majority to achieve their objective.

But while some of them strongly believe that their group has a good chance in view of the rejection of the APC anointing of Abbas and Kalu by some members of the party, sources said yesterday that the opposition Reps-elect themselves are in no better position to pick their own consensus candidate to face the APC pair.

Sources said the opposition parties are now in a fix over their plan should the APC succeed in pacifying its aggrieved aspirants before the day of inauguration.

“There are concerns because the APC consensus move is reducing the number of aspirants for Speaker. And should the party succeed in pacifying its members, who are we going to negotiate with?” a member of the Greater Majority told The Nation.

“Opposition members-elect are daily declaring support for APC’s decision and are even campaigning for them. This has reduced our permutated majority greatly.

“A good example is the group led by Hon. Chinda. All the PDP members-elect from Rivers are supporting APC’s choices. The G5 governors too are telling their members-elect to work against us.

“Yesterday, we called a meeting and the attendance was not what it used to be. The NNPP members-elect were absent and our SDP counterparts were not complete. There were also some issues raised by the Labour Party members –elect concerning the Speakership.”

Sources also said while the PDP caucus in the group wants the Speaker to come from the South, the NNPP caucus prefers one of its own from Kano State for the position.

The LP caucus is said to have settled for the position of deputy speaker.

Our source said: “This is our biggest crisis. We have been unable to reach an agreement on this. Even if we decide to back an aspirant from the APC while the opposition produces the deputy Speaker, we still need to first agree on the candidate to push forward.”

The APC hierarchy had endorsed Abbas from Kaduna State as Speaker and Kalu from Abia State as Deputy Speaker.

Some APC members who are also interested in the positions have protested the party’s decision and are threatening to press ahead with their own ambition.

Abbas in Lagos, seeks Sanwo-Olu’s support

Abbas, accompanied by Kalu and 35 other Reps-elect yesterday visited Sanwo-Olu at the State House, Marina, Lagos to seek support for next month’s election of the 10^th National Assembly leadership.

Abbas said the team chose Lagos as its first port of call in its engagement with stakeholders ahead of the election because of his role in the victory of President-elect Bola Tinubu in the February 25 election, as well as his closeness to him.

He urged Governor Sanwo-Olu to speak with other governors to support his ambition.

He said: “This is a project that will unite Nigerians. We need your prayers so that we can win on June 13. We know you can reach out to your colleagues and other aspirants on our behalf. We are partners and we will move Nigeria forward.”

Governor Sanwo-Olu said while every member of the House has a right to the position of speaker, Abbas stands out as a capable hand.

“I know you have what it takes to lead the chamber, which is why someone like me will support your ambition. Our wish is that you emerge unopposed,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu also urged Abbas and his team to continue its engagement with other stakeholders, adding that “our President-elect Asiwaju Tinubu is a true democrat who has indicated that you and your deputy are proper and fit for the positions”.

Kalu, on his own part, promised “a balancing of inequality between old and new members in the House”, saying the incoming leadership will not be partial.

Obasanjo’s son endorses Akpabio, Abbas for NASS leadership seats

Olujonwo Obasanjo, an APC chieftain and son of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has thrown his weight behind the party’s consensus candidates for the leadership of the 10^th National Assembly, describing their choice as the best.

Addressing newsmen in Abuja yesterday, Obasanjo appealed to all the elected members of the 10^th National Assembly to support the decision of the party and rally around the consensus candidates for the good of democracy and the incoming administration.

He said while democracy thrives on the principle of separation of powers among the three arms of government, such separation is not absolute.

He described the decision of the NWC as thoughtful, stressing that the consensus arrangement by the party “is also for the good of the nation if they find ways of working as harmoniously as possible” with the other arms of government.

Eulogising the choice of Akpabio as Senate President, Obasanjo said the former two-term governor of Akwa Ibom State has distinguished himself as a governor and Minister.

He said: “He (Akpabio) became a Senator, and as a minority leader, he stood against Saraki’s high handedness as the Senate President to join the ruling party, the APC, to also add value and political strength to it in the assembly.

“Senator Akpabio obtained APC’s presidential nomination form but on the night of the primary, he was the first aspirant to step down for the now president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Senator Akpabio has earned the respect and trust of the leadership of the party and the president-elect and all other stakeholders. Therefore, his nomination as the next president of the Senate is very welcome.”

On the Speakership, Obasanjo said: “Hon. Tajudeen Abbas’s exceptional contribution to law-making alone is enough to secure him the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“This unassuming gentleman from the famous Zazzau royal family is a trailblazer in the aspect of lawmaking that he alone has sponsored 74 bills and 21 of them have been signed into law by the President.”

Yari, in letter to senators-elect, urges support for Tinubu

The immediate past governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, who is now seeking to be the next Senate President, yesterday urged all senators elect to partner President-elect Tinubu “in achieving the economic agenda of the country in ensuring human capital and infrastructural development of the country.”

He also asked them to “strive to ensure a smooth relationship between the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary because together in unity of purpose we can make the country a better place for all and make it march the achievements of advanced nations.”

Yari said there should be no “religious, tribal, nepotic tendencies and ethnic sentiments in the choice of the President of the Senate, which is first among equals.” (The Nation)

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