President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has reassured elected members of the incoming 10th National Assembly that his administration remains firm on the choices of candidates for presiding officers’ position made by the leadership of the governing All Progressives Congress (APC).
The President stated this on Wednesday night when he met with Senators-elect and Members-elect of the APC at the Presidential Villa, with APC governors and other leaders of the party in attendance.
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Details emerging from the meeting which was scheduled for 7:30pm on Wednesday revealed that Tinubu spoke firmly on the need to work for the victory of the APC’s candidates for the 10th National Assembly leadership.
A source privy to the meeting confirmed that “the President appealed/begged them to work for Akpabio, Abbas, Barau and Kalu respectively.”
“He said the success of his administration largely depends on whether or not he gets it right with the leadership of the National Assembly.
The President is further quoted as urging them to see reasons with him, saying “the candidates were chosen for the stability of the nation.”
Those in attendance among the speakership aspirants were: the outgone chairman of the 9th House Appropriation Committee, Hon Muktar Betara Aliyu from Borno, outgone chairman of Navy Committee, Hon. Yusuf Adamu Gagdi from Plateau, outgone chairperson of the People With Disability Committee, Hon. Miriam, Onuoha from Imo, as well as Chairman Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Sada Soli from Katsina.
“However, the outgone Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase from Plateau, and Aminu Sani Jaji from Zamfara were conspicuously absent, despite getting invitation for the meeting,” the source said.
Recall that Wase had said during the House valedictory session on Wednesday that he would go ahead to contest for the Speaker’s seat because it has been prophesied that he would become Speaker.
Wase stated this after the House Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa (APC,Kano) pleaded with other aspirants to stepdown for the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate, Tajuddeen Abbas.
However, Wase who spoke immediately after Doguwa said, as a democrat who believes in contest, he was determined to continue with the race until the end.
He added that, his contest is in the pursuit of a prophecy by the former governor of old Plateau State, late Solomon Lar who predicted his coming to the House of Representatives and becoming the Deputy Speaker and possibility of his Speakership.
“Of course, I want to appreciate my political leaders, among whom I would say is Solomon Lar, who, when I was contesting in 2007, I went to him and he prophesied the number of times I will come to this Assembly and I will tell this crowd and to the world, that he said, I will come to the Assembly in the number of times and prophesied even the number of leadership that I will attain and the Deputy Speakership and he prophesied next when I return, and I believe I will be Speaker and I believe, In sha Allah, I will be the Speaker of the Green Chambers,” Wase insisted.
From the look of things, there is likelihood that only Wase would go to the floor to contest, while others may step down after the President’s appeal.