AN aspirant for House of Representatives’ Speaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has said acceptance by members rather than zonal endorsements will determine who wins.
Jibrin, chairman of the House Committee on Finance, spoke in Abuja against the background of endorsements being claimed by some of the aspirants.
Apart from Jibrin, other aspirants are: Minority Leader Femi Gbajabiamila, Mohammed Tahir Mongonu and Yakubu Dogara.
Jibrin said: “As evident with the outgoing seventh Assembly, members of the House of Representatives chose their leaders based on acceptance, not purported endorsement being bandied in the media. I am confident that the eighth Assembly will continue this laudable democratic trend.”
He challenged other speakership aspirants to clearly articulate their legislative agenda instead of bandying “fake” endorsement claims.
“All the endorsement claims and counter-claims have ended up as fake and lies. However, the focus should be acceptability not fake endorsements. Secondly, I have concentrated clearly in what I will do if elected. But, other aspirants are simply struggling to be Speaker in a do-or-die manner. I challenge them (aspirants) to come out with their agenda, if they are sure it will be in the new spirit of change!” Jibrin added.
The Kano lawmaker hailed the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, on his promise not to interfere in the selection of leaders of the National Assembly and allow for “due process”.
He added: “With the recent powerful and patriotic statement from the president-elect, the coast has been cleared for competence and merit to determine who becomes Speaker of the 8th Assembly.”