10th NASS: Opposition Reps-Elect Meet, Strategise To Produce Speaker

Last night, minority groups in the House of Representatives gathered to plan for selecting the next speaker.

This follows two earlier meetings by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) caucus and Joint Task-10th Assembly, a group of lawmakers from all parties in the upcoming 10th National Assembly.

Opposition parties including PDP, NNPP, SDP, LP, and ADC have a majority in the House with 180 members, while All Progressives Congress (APC) has 178.

Two seats in Akwa Ibom and Ondo states are still undecided.

Fred Agbedi, the meeting’s organizer and a PDP member from Akwa Ibom, said it was the second meeting of the minority caucuses after their election to the 10th National Assembly.

Agbedi emphasized that minority groups will play a crucial role in the assembly’s leadership.

He encouraged the caucuses to see the many groups involved in electing the 10th National Assembly’s leaders as a source of strength for determining the assembly’s direction, rather than a distraction.

The APC has about 178 members-elect in the House of Representatives followed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with about 114 seats, Labour Party (LP) occupies 35 seats and others.

Lawmakers elected into the 10th National Assembly will be inaugurated in June, with much expectation on who holds key positions in the Chambers.