10th Speaker: Group Urges G-7, Greater Minority to accept Abbas, Kalu endorsement
By Tom Okpe
A pressure group, Defenders of Constitutional Democracy, (CDC) has appealed to the G-7 aspirants and minority caucus under the umbrella of ‘Greater Minority’ to jettison the idea of presenting consensus candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker, respectively.
The CDC instead, urged the aggrieved Aspirants and the Minority Group to support the choice of Rep Tajudeen Abass and Rep Benjamin Okezie Kalu for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House at its inauguration.
The National convener of CDC, Aliyu Abdullahi and Director, Contact and Mobilisation, Dr. Chukwuma Okoro made the plea in a statement made available to news men in Abuja on Sunday.
The Group also commended the Minority Parties Forum led by Rep Iduma Igariwey for adopting the APC’s preferred candidates and offering to support them to emerge as presiding officers.
The Group advised the aggrieved Aspirants, including Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase, Rep Muktar Betara, Reps Yusuf Gagdi, Sada Soli, Aminu Sani Jaji and Miriam Onuoha, “to respect the party’s position and avoid unnecessary confrontation.”
The statement reads: “As democrats and patriotic Nigerians who are interested in the unity and peace of this nation, we appeal to the G-7 and the Greater Minority to sheathe their swords and accept the endorsement of Rep Tajudeen Abass and Rep Benjamin Kalu as the speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively as an act of God.
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“The APC’s National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu has promised that the party will review the zoning and make necessary concessions where possible. So, there is no need insisting on disobeying the party.
“At least, the G-7 have been able to voice out their discomfort with the zoning arrangement and endorsement of Reps Abbas and Kalu.
“So, let us join hands with the party and work for the emergence of Abbas and Kalu in order to have a legislature that can collaborate with the executive to give Nigerians the best.”
While advising the Greater Minority, the CDC said, “to our comrades in the Greater Minority, we appeal to them not to sponsor a consensus candidate to counter the APC’s choice of Abbas and Kalu. Politics is not only about fight and opposition bit collaboration and alliances.
“Therefore, the collaboration, which the APC is seeking this time, is to advance the cause of our democracy and improve the lot of Nigerians. We urge you to toe the line of the Monority Parties Forun, support the winning ticket and together, we will all be happy for it, he said.”
The Group also commended the MPF for accepting Abbas and Kalu saying; “We commend the courage and patriotism of the MPF led by Rep Igariwey for endorsing Abbas and Kalu.
“Elections are over and what we should be on our minds now, is how to better our country and not to create disaffection.
“We are calling on Members-elect of other political parties and aggrieved members-elect in APC to join hands and make this ticket work for the good of our nation because, both the President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Vice President-Elect Senator Shettima are politicians of note, who will not want to marginize any individual or, section of the country.”
