10th NASS: Aspirants Discuss Methods For Choosing Next Speaker

As the All Progressives Congress (APC) and President-elect, Bola Tinubu select new leadership for the National Assembly, aspirants for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives are discussing the best method for making the choice.

Some aspirants prefer a consensus candidate, while others support allowing aspirants in a chosen zone to compete against each other or a free contest for all aspirants, regardless of zones.

Current Majority Leader, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, said he would respect any method chosen by the APC.

Ado-Doguwa said, “I have always been unequivocal about my unflinching loyalty and respect for party supremacy. It is for the party to decide which option to take and I will definitely stand by it. Zoning, consensus, free contest, whichever option is taken, I will be fine with it God willing.”

Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, argued that combining zoning and consensus would promote national integration and party unity.

Wase said, “Zoning and consensus applied together will foster national integration while ensuring party unity at the same time.”

House spokesman, Ben Kalu, encouraged the APC to consider various interests, such as ethnicity, religion, and competence when selecting candidates for leadership positions.

He said, “Like I have always said, I do not envy the decision makers at the moment, especially the President-elect, the National Chairman (Abdullahi Adamu) and the National Working Committee members, whose task it is to adopt a power-balancing formula that will sustainably increase our cohesion, unity, progress, prosperity and peace of the federation.

“Having said that, I am sure that they will consider all diversity, sensitive issues, competence, capacity and credibility to arrive at any option most acceptable to them. As party men, we will oblige them fully.

“For the administration of the President-elect to succeed, the foundation must be laid on non-acrimonious and rancorous-free relationships between the arms of the government, with each supporting the other towards achieving the desired national objective.

“That starts now with the design of the architecture of the legislature when well put together. I am confident that will not be an issue.”

Meanwhile, Yusuf Gagdi, former Deputy Speaker of the Plateau State House of Assembly, plans to officially announce his bid for the speakership today (Saturday) and promises to abide by the APC’s zoning plan if it is fair and just.