Group Pushes for Iriase as Reps Speaker

A group known as the South-South Equity Forum, has called on the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to let a top member of the House of Representatives from the South-South geo-political region to occupy the speakership position, in the incoming lower legislative chamber of the National Assembly.

Speaking, during a press briefing, held at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Press Centre, Benin, the leader of the group, Sir. Harrison Omagbon, said: “Considering the economic importance of the South-South geo-political zone, as the goose that laid the golden eggs, has to be factored into the distribution of high political offices.

“This will further suppress opportunistic agitation, part of which led to the Niger Delta militancy. The APC, as a party can ill-afford the crisis that will arise from the mismanagement of her victory, which was the same reason the PDP roundly lost the elections.”

Omagbon stated that, of all the states in the South-South, it was only in Edo, “inspite of the blatant military brutality against the APC leadership and the virtual arrest of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole”, that General Muhammadu Buhari scored 45 percent votes, which was above the mandatory 25 percent as required by the constitution.

It is based on these that the group called on the leadership of the APC to consider Edo State-born politician and a member of the House of Representatives – Pally Iriase – who is also a former Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, for the exalted position.

According to the group: “We are calling on the leadership of our great party to consider the person of Hon. Pally Iriase, a chartered accountant; a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Edo State; a former Deputy Speaker, Edo State House of Assembly; a former Secretary to the Edo State Government and a two-time member of the House of Representatives for the speakership of the National Assembly.

“We appeal to the leadership of the APC, and the President-elect to be on the side of fairplay, equity and justice in the larger interest of our great party and the country. This is pertinent in view of the fact that election will still take place in 2019 and every part of the country is needed to move the nation forward.”