Tinubu In Secret Talks With Betara, LP, PDP, NNPP Lawmakers-elect Over 10th NASS Leadership Crisis

President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commenced moves to quell the crisis rocking the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) over its zoning arrangement for the 10th National Assembly.

Tinubu on Wednesday reportedly met with lawmakers-elect on the platform of opposition political parties to stop the mounting opposition to the endorsement of former minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio as president of the Senate, and Senator Barau Jubrin, Kano North Senatorial District (North West) as deputy Senate president, l Tajudeen Abbas, from Kaduna State (North West) as Speaker of the House and Benjamin Kalu from Abia State (South East) as Deputy Speaker.

Recall that those against the endorsement of Abbas include the Deputy Speaker of the House, Ahmed Idris Wase; chairman, committee on Appropriation, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara; chairman, committee on Navy, Yusuf Gagdi; House leader, Hassan Doguwa; chairman, committee on Water Resources, Sada Soli; former chairman, committee on Internal Security and Intelligence in the 8th Assembly, Aminu Sani Jaji, and Hon Mariam Onuoha.

According to Leadership, Tinubu met with members-elect of the House of Representatives on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) in Lagos before he jetted out of the country.

The outgoing Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, and Abbas reportedly let the lawmakers-elect to Tinubu’s Lagos State residence.

The meeting, which involved no fewer than 30 members-elect, was said to be partly designed to establish the level of acceptability of Abass across party divides and convince Tinubu about the popularity of his choice.

An aggrieved aspirant for Speaker, Mukhtar Betara, also met with the former Lagos State governor.

A source at the meeting told that the aforementioned platform that the initiative was meant to serve dual purposes, adding that Gbajabiamila planned the meeting to demonstrate and convince Tinubu about the extent and strength of mobilisation by the team rooting for Abbas.

Tinubu explained to the opposition lawmakers the circumstances leading to the decision on the zoning of the leadership of the House by APC.

The president-elect asked the lawmakers-elect to back him and ensure the anointed aspirants were elected.

He told them that the zoning was purely the party’s decision, adding that he supported the initiative as a faithful party leader.