All Progressives Congress (APC) governors from the North have resolved to support President-elect Bola Tinubu’s choice of National Assembly presiding officers, Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has said.
He spoke during separate meetings at the Nasarawa State Governor’s Lodge with Senate President aspirant Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Senate President aspirant Barau Jibrin on Wednesday night as well as yesterday with House of Representatives Speaker aspirant Tajudeen Abbas and Deputy Speaker aspirant Benjamin Kalu.
Akpabio was at the meeting with members of the Solidarity Group which is spearheading his campaign.
Sule told the aspirants: “We cannot in any way fight the choice of Bola Ahmed Tinubu. We cannot in any way fight the choice of our party.”
He thanked the lawmakers for visiting him over the “project”, and described them as loyal party members who will work for the success of the incoming Tinubu administration.
House Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila met with the Minority Caucus where members agreed on consensus building.
Also yesterday, an aspirant for Speaker, Ado Doguwa, quit the race to support Abbas.
But, the Northern Elders Forum (NEF), in its reaction to the controversy over the endorsement of candidates for National Assembly presiding officers, said the group will not campaign for selfish candidates.
Its Publicity Secretary, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the lawmakers should be allowed to choose principal officers based on merit and competence.
Sule assured that Northern APC governors were on the same page with Tinubu and the ruling party over the choice of Abbas and Kalu.
He said as the Chief Executive of his state, he also has preferred candidates for the leadership of the House of Assembly, adding that nobody would disagree with him on his decision.
Sule said going against the choice of the President-elect and the party could create problems for the incoming administration.
He stressed the fact that Northern governors were the ones who stood their ground for presidential zoning to the South where the “best has emerged”.
He added: “If people hear that we’re disagreeing with the President-elect, they will laugh at us. We won’t disagree with him.”
The Tajudeen/Kalu Campaign Team visited the governor as part of efforts to get the support and blessings of all stakeholders ahead of the inauguration of the 10th Assembly in June.
On the Northcentral question, Sule said: “When Tinubu returns to Nigeria, we’ll sit down with him and ask him what is there for us in the Northcentral.
“I’m a governor, and when I indicate interest in who becomes the Speaker in my state, nobody argues with me.”
He advised the aspirants to reach out to the other contestants in a bid to carry them along and get their support.
Sule said: “You asked me for advice, and I’ll give you one. I saw you with PDP, LP and the rest of them. That shows you’re serious. Also, visit all the other aspirants. Visit all the opposition parties and ask for their support, so that they won’t penalise their members for supporting you.
“I wish you well. I like the way you’re carrying the campaign. Try and carry everybody along. We know that the next administration is coming into an economic storm, so the president needs total peace and stability. From the governors, I promise you we’re going to give him the total support.”
The country, he noted, is facing a lot.
“The incoming president will need somebody like Akpabio, as the chairman of the National Assembly, to enable him to push through his plans for Nigerians.
“Senator Akpabio to the best of my knowledge, has paid his dues, and that is why we are supporting him,” he said.
Abbas told the governor that the team visited him to seek his support, cooperation and blessing.
He said since his first election into the House in 2011, he has been making modest contributions to the legislature, which culminated in his sponsoring 74 Bills from 2019 to date, out of which 21 were signed into law.
He recalled that before becoming a lawmaker, he had been a teacher from primary to tertiary institutions and that he established three different departments in Nuhu Bamalli and the Kaduna State University (KASU).
Gbajabiamila, Minority caucus agree on consensus building
Gbajabiamila and the Minority Caucus agreed to build consensus for the smooth take-off of the 10th Assembly and the emergence of presiding officers.
A statement by spokespersons of the Minority Caucus – the Greater Majority – Victor Afam Ogene and Dachung Musa Bagos, said they agreed to consensus building in the interest of the House.
The group led by Nicholas Mutu and Fred Agbedi had threatened to field candidates among the minority parties for Speaker and Deputy Speaker and set up a committee to shop for candidates.
The group, a coalition of the seven opposition political parties, was led by Nicholas Mutu.
Others, who accompanied him, included Wole Oke, Ali Isa, Dennis Agbo, Mansur Soro and Kabiru Ahmadu.
At the end of the deadline, none of its members indicated interest in the two positions.
The spokesmen said the parley with Gbajabiamila was the climax of a series of interfaces which the “Greater Majority” had with those aspiring to lead the House.
Doguwa withdraws
House Leader Doguwa announced his withdrawal from the contest, urging his supporters to support Abbas and Kalu.
Speaking at a meeting of the Joint Task, 10th Assembly, Doguwa also announced that two other candidates, Abdulhareem Olawuyi (APC, Kwara) and Abubakar Makki Yalleman (APC, Jigawa) have withdrawn from the contest.
Doguwa said Abbas is qualified, adding that he has the legislative experience to lead the House.
He said he withdrew from the race to support the party’s choice because he is a beneficiary of the zoning arrangement.
Doguwa said: “Don’t imagine that my appearance here is by accident. For those of you who are thinking you’re daydreaming, you’re not daydreaming. This is reality.
“It is not like the table is turning against me. No. The truth is that the time has come for me to pay back and I think that paying back in these circumstances is a great responsibility that I must honour and oblige.
“I rise today in the presence of my boss, Right Honourable Gbajabiamila, and I am flanked by Abdulraheem Olawuyi and Abubakar Makki Yalleman.
“Together collectively and individually, we are stepping into the shoes of this great campaign because, at every given time, there can be only one Speaker.
“On this basis, we have all come individually and collectively to surrender our bid to be Speaker this time around to our great party, the APC and defer to our gentleman that was picked by the party to run for the speakership.”
NEF: on merit we stand
Baba-Ahmed said the North will not campaign for selfish persons jostling for principal offices.
He said the northern voters have done their job and voted based on convictions over qualities of candidates while “some were induced, some voted along faith and others party lines”.
Speaking at a one-day colloquium organised by the Democratic Watch Initiative (DWI) in Kaduna, he said: “Individuals and groups lobbying for positions from northern legislators should be conscious of a number of things.
“First, the best thing is to respect the independence of the legislature and allow members to choose their leaders.
“The North does not want just any legislator from the North to become Speaker. We should hope that he has the highest personal integrity and a good idea of how his position can help him. All of them contesting should submit to a process by which their fellow contestants nominate them and then support them.
“The same thing should be done at the Senate level. If those who know each other better than us cannot decide who will serve our interests as Northerners best, then we stop campaigning for all of them. We do not want legislators who want to be in positions of power to fulfil personal ambitions.”
‘Akpabio, Jibrin, best choices’
Northwest APC youths endorsed Senators Akpabio for Senate President and Barau Jibrin as Deputy Senate President.
The APC youth wing said Akpabio from the Southsouth and Jibrin from the Northwest will build the confidence of party members across the country, and foster national unity.
They also stated that both Akpabio and Jibrin are experienced lawmakers with a proven track record of achievements.
In a statement by the Northwest APC Youths Leader, Abdulhamid Umar Moh’d, the group said both lawmakers are generally accepted across the country as a result of their contributions to the president-elect’s victory at the poll.
Moh’d said: “The choice of Akpabio and Jibrin is so appropriate because both lawmakers made serious contributions to ensuring Tinubu won the election.
“While Akpabio relinquished his presidential ambition for Tinubu, Jibrin contributed immensely to APC’s triumph in the Northwest.
“It is pertinent to note that, in the South, Southsouth contributed the second highest votes after Southwest which houses the President-elect. The Northwest gave the party the highest votes in the North with Kano State consistently giving APC the highest vote per state in every election since the formation of the party.
“We understand that the business of legislature is highly professional because it deals with law-making and financial appropriation. Its leadership must be able, ready, and willing to support President-elect Tinubu.
“We need pan-Nigerians who have been tested and trusted, proven worthy of integrity, character and prudent management to lead the Senate, hence the choice of Akpabio and Jibrin.
“The President-elect is from the Southwest and the Vice President-elect is from the Northeast. As such, the Senate President should be zoned to the Southsouth and the Deputy Senate President to the Northwest. It should also be noted that Akpabio and Barau are experienced and competent lawmakers.
“One has served as a governor and the other has been a long-term lawmaker.”
