Federal lawmakers in the race for the leadership of the National Assembly are not ready to give up in spite of reports that the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), the incoming president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and governors on the party’s platform have thrown their weight behind Senator Godswill Akpabio and Hon Tajudeen Abbas to be Senate president and Speaker of the House of Representatives respectively.
This is even as opposition has continued to mount against the aspiration of the anointed candidates for the office of the Senate president and Speaker in the 10th National Assembly.
The much-awaited zoning arrangement for the leadership of the 10th Assembly was made public at the end of an eight-man caucus meeting of the APC held at Tinubu’s Abuja residence on Friday morning.
The aspiration of the anointed candidate for the office of the Senate president in the 10th National Assembly, Akpabio, has suffered a setback as the major opposition caucus in the Senate has rejected his choice.
Akpabio, who joined the ruling APC in the build-up to the 2019 general election, is the preferred candidate of the president-elect and the leadership of the ruling party, while Senator Jibril Barau from Kano State has been picked as deputy Senate president.
But Akpabio is not in the good books of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus in the National Assembly, both the outgoing 9th Assembly and the incoming 10th Assembly; hence, all entreaties from the former Akwa Ibom State governor have fell on the PDP lawmakers-elect’s deaf ears.
He is said to enjoy the support of only three of the 36 PDP Senators-elect.
The three Akpabio supporters are Senators-elect from Rivers State because of Governor Nyesom Wike’s alliance with APC at the centre.
“He is offering us money but we don’t want his money because he is not principled. He will eventually sell out the Senate if allowed to emerge the Senate president.
“Remember what he did in 2018/2019. The PDP honoured him as a first-timer in the Senate by giving him an exalted position of Minority Leader. Without any just cause, save for his pocket and selfish interest, he abandoned the PDP midstream and joined APC. He was rewarded with a ministerial position. We can’t trust such person as a Senate President, he is unstable,” a PDP Senator-elect from the South-South, who did not want to be named, said.
Also, it was learnt that another thing against the APC choice is the way he embarrassed and threw the federal lawmakers under the bus during a Senate hearing on Niger Delta Affairs Ministry under him in 2021.
“His behaviour that day shows someone who hate the legislators’ guts and he is ready to shut the door of reconciliation.
“Another reason why most legislators are afraid of supporting Akpabio is his connection to the travails of two South-South Senators, Senator Bassey (Akpan) of Akwa Ibom and Senator Peter Nwaoboshi of Delta,” the lawmaker added.
Also, Zamfara West Senator-elect, Abdul’Aziz Yari, has refused the persuasion of president-elect, Bola Tinubu, to step down for Senator Godswill Akpabio in the Senate presidency race, saying he will go ahead to contest position.
Yari, the immediate-past governor of Zamfara State, said the contest for the Senate presidency will be based on constitutional provisions and not instructions by anyone.
He said, “What is going to happen that day, it is going to happen based on the instructions of the constitution and not for anyone.”
Yari described the contest as Senators’ business, backed by the 1999 Constitution to choose their leaders within themselves and not based on instructions from anyone.
Meanwhile, in the Green Chamber, those insisting on contesting for Speaker include the current deputy Speaker, Idris Wase; chairman, House committee on Appropriation, MuktarAliyu Betara; chairman, House committee on Navy, Hon Yusuf Adamu Gagdi.
Gadgi has urged the president-elect and the APC to zone presiding officer positions for the 10th National Assembly without endorsing specific individuals for particular offices.
Apparently reacting to the endorsement of former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio, and chairman, House committee on Land Transport, Hon Tajudeen Abbas, as Senate president and Speaker of the House by Tinubu and top echelons of the party, Gagdi specifically urged the president-elect and the party to zone the position of Speaker to the North Central zone, and allow a free and fair contest.
While unveiling his manifesto and strategy paper tagged, “The Gagdi Plan”, at the formal declaration of his intention to contest for Speaker of the 10th Assembly, Gagdi noted that the two other zones in the North have produced Speaker of the House in Nigeria’s 4th Republic, except the North Central zone.
Calling on the APC to uphold the principle of equity, justice and fairness, Gagdi stated that he would be a loyal and law abiding member of the party.
He said, “I will continue to be a law-abiding member just as I have ever been, I will continue to be an advocate of justice equity and fairness. I will not be deterred by any act that seems to undermine the principle of justice.
“Our president-elect, Asiwaju, I am following his footsteps based on his potential, antecedents and based on what he means for Nigeria. I cannot remember as an APC member where Mr President-elect, Asiwaju Ahmed Bola Tinubu, was endorsed as consensus candidate for our party. No, it was only zoned to the Southern part of Nigeria.”
Gagdi is from the same Plateau State with the incumbent deputy Speaker of the House, Ahmed Idris Wase.
LEADERSHIP Sunday investigations revealed that Wase is also uncomfortable with the endorsement of Abbas and has vowed not to collapse his structure to support the choice.
A source familiar with Wase told our correspondent last night that the deputy Speaker was ready to go all out for the contest.
Another source close to Wase told LEADERSHIP Sunday that the deputy Speaker would make his position known when the endorsement is formally communicated to him.
“This is the problem; you should be careful with political communication. How can the deputy Speaker respond to an issue that can best be described as speculation? The president-elect has not communicated any endorsement to us and the party has not communicated to us as well. When there is a formal communication, if any, Wase will make his position known,” the source who spoke in confidence said.
Meanwhile, the member representing Kazaure/Roni/Gwiwa/Yankwashi federal constituency of Jigawa State, Mohammed Gudaji Kazaure, has said the chairman, House committee on Appropriation, Muktar Betara, remains unbeatable in the race for the Speakership of the House of Representatives.
Kazaure, in a goodwill message at the ceremony to unveil “The Gagdi Plan”, described Betara as a man with tremendous goodwill that could easily sweep the race for the speakership of the 10th Assembly.
He noted that Betara singlehandedly influenced the votes that led to the emergence of Yakubu Dogara and his successor, Femi Gbajabiamila, as Speakers of the House of Representatives in the 8th and 9th Assemblies.
He maintained that Betara who chairs the House committee on Appropriation remains indispensable as far as the race for the Speakership of the 10th Assembly is concerned.
He advised Gagdi to strike a deal with Betara to decide which of them would succeed the outgoing Speaker.
“The truth is Betara is the major contender in this race. If he is with Gagdi, he would win 100 per cent. They understand each other. They Know each other. Betara is a good man; he is a very gentleman who is always calm and silent. The only thing with him is that he doesn’t know how to say no.
“For me, we need a Speaker who would say no. I advise members to vote for Gagdi. I am planning to go and meet Betara and tell him to come and join Gagdi. Betara deserves the Speakership seat which he is now trying to take.”
Kazaure who warned the APC leadership against imposition of Speakership candidate on the House described Betara as the father of the House who is well liked and admired by the entire members of the House of Representatives.
In the same vein, another member of the House who is a staunch supporter of Tajudeen said the first hurdle had just been crossed and that Tinubu and APC must ensure that the Betara camp gives a nod before the coast can be clear for the party’s choice.
“The endorsement is the first stage, while the actual election is the real thing. I heard that Wase is threatening to be the spoiler. He feels betrayed by the Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila. The Betara factor is also there. If the president-elect and the party can work on Betara, then we can say the coast is clear already,” the source said.
Umahi, Ebonyi Gov-elect Back Abbas For Speakership
Meanwhile, the outgoing governor of Ebonyi State, David Umahi, and the state’s governor-elect, Francis Nwifuru, have expressed support for Hon Tajudeen Abbas for Speaker of the 10th National Assembly.
Abbas, who is one of the frontrunners in the race for the office of the Speaker of House of Representatives, was said to have been picked as preferred candidate by the president-elect, Tinubu.
In a statement issued by the Tajudeen Abbas media team in Abuja on Saturday, the group said Umahi, who doubles as Senator-elect, declared the support for Abbas during a consultation visit by Abbas to Ebonyi Governor’s Lodge in Asokoro, Abuja.
Umahi explained that his findings towards Abbas compelled him to endorse him as his preferred candidate for speaker.
The statement quoted the Ebonyi governor as staying he was surprised that even the new members-elect from different political parties were supporting Abbas for Speaker, which means he is a candidate to reckon with.
It further quoted Umahi as saying that he and the incoming governor of Ebonyi are bent on working towards the success of Abbas and have started canvassing for his votes.
Umahi said all Ebonyi members-elect for the House of Representatives will vote for Abbas.
In his response, Hon Abbas thanked the governor and the incoming governor for their support, promising to work to achieve the needed results.
He said the task given to him was for all hands to be on the desk to achieve the results.
Earlier, a member-elect said all members-elect from Ebonyi State will work for the success of Abbas.
He said that he has seen sincerity and trustworthiness by just observing his speech and activities.
[Leadership]