Speakership: Minority Caucus To Make Stand Known, To Back Independent Candidate 

The minority caucus in the House of Representatives have disclosed that it’s stand would soon be known concerning which candidate to support for the seat of Speaker.

Naija News recalls that the National Working Committee (NWC) of the All Progressives Congress (APC) had announced a Kaduna State lawmaker, Tajudeen Abbas as its consensus candidate, while Ben Kalu from South-East was anointed as his deputy.

However, controversies have continued to trail the party’s decision on it’s choice of candidates for the leadership of the 10th National Assembly.

This platform earlier reported that majority of the lawmakers in the house refused to honour a meeting called by the Speaker of the house, Femi Gbajabiamile to sell the candidacy of Abbas.

It was learnt that the meeting was poorly attended by members, a development the Speaker was not happy about.

A source from that meeting who is from the minority caucus told Vanguard that with the number present, he doubts if a quarter of the house might root for Abbas, who is said to be Gbajabiamila’s candidate.

In his reaction, the source said the opposition caucus would soon make its stands know, but then it would only support an independent candidate capable of running the affairs of the house.

The source notes that “The minority caucus has been meeting lately and we shall make our stand known soon. We shall throw our weight behind anyone we feel has the capacity and independent mind to make the 10th House work for the people of Nigeria and not for an individual.

‘’We shall support such a person, regardless of any region or state he or she comes from. About 358 members are going to cast their votes to decide the next speaker and I don’t think, this number I’m seeing here tonight can make one-quarter of the deciding votes”