10th HoR: Reps Minority Caucus drops speakership ambition
By Tom Okpe
The Minority Caucus, awaiting inauguration in the10th House of Representatives has backed out of its earlier resolution to contest for the positions of Speakership and Deputy.
The caucus which disclosed this, at the end of a meeting in Abuja, Monday night said non of its members have shown interest in the positions.
The Caucus, comprising the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Labour Party, (LP); New Nigeria People’s Party, (NNPP); Africa Democratic Congress, (ADC); Young People’s Party, (YPP); All Progressives Grand Alliance, (APGA) and the Social Democratic Party, (SDP) has over 180 members out of the total of 360.
Following its resolution to drag the presiding positions with the ruling Àll Progressives Congress, (APC), the caucus had constituted an 11-man committee to shortlist, screen and eventually recommend aspirants within its fold for presiding officers.
But the co-spokesperson of the caucus, Afam Ogene, (LP, Anambra) said at the end of the period to execute the assignment, no member of the group indicated interest for the position of Speaker and Deputy speaker.
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Ogene announced that the committee also met with APC speakership aspirants and all of them seemed to be qualified for position.
He said the details of the meeting with the aspirants will not be divulged yet until other members are briefed.
The lawmaker said: “I wish to report on behalf of the chairman of that committee and the entire members, as at the end of the period given to undertake that assignment no member of the minority caucus better known as the greater majority stepped forward to contest for the role of presiding officers.
“Deductively this means that we are not bidding for those two positions. However we remain united as one caucus of the opposition parties.
“We did also met with those aspiring for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives, but because we have not briefed our members, I will not go into details of our interface. But I can assure you everyone that put him or herself running for the position appears to be qualified.”
