10th Speakership battle: PDP members-elect optimistic of peaceful resolution

Notable members-elect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Monday assured Nigerians that the lingering crisis trailing the election of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th Assembly would be resolved amicably.

The lawmakers who spoke during a media chat at the sideline of the ongoing Induction of returning and newly elected lawmakers organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), expressed support for the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Hon. Muktar Betara Aliyu’s ambition.

Speaking exclusively with Parliamentary Correspondents, former Speaker of Gombe House of Assembly, Hon. Garba Inuwa described Hon. Betara as the most qualified Aspirant after wide consultation with other Aspirants who have so far expressed interest in the Speakership race.

“The focus of the Greater Majority is to have a very focused and purposeful leadership for the 10th Assembly that will bring all members together for a good working relationship.

“That should be based on track record, experience and commitment. Most of us in the 10th Assembly believe that Aliyu Betara has what quality to give to Nigerians what we want in the 10th House of Representatives.

“Nigeria is already in a serious problem and to come out of this problem starts and ends with having a good leadership.

“Once many of us coming from the Opposition Parties see reason to team up with somebody from the ruling party, you should know that such a person will be committed and has the will to carry all of us along as Members and has a very good understanding of the tenets of the legislature and good relationship. The beneficiary of that will be the government in power.

“I can tell you that the only person who qualifies for the position and has all these qualities and is prepared and committed is Muktar Aliyu Betara.

“Majority of us in the Greater Majority group have endorsed Betara for the position and I can assure you that if today, we go in for the contest, Betara will be the Speaker. His Speakership will be the gain of Nigerians. For somebody to choose a Speaker for us is a misnormal.

“That is undemocratic and unconstitutional. We will vote for the person that will do justice to Nigerians and I can assure you that the next Speaker of the House of Representatives is Aliyu Muktar Betara,” Hon. Inuwa, a former Chairman, Conference of Speaker of State Houses of Assembly said.

Also speaking with Parliamentary Correspondents, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, member representing Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo state who kicked against the APC National Working Committee’s plot to impose its preferred Aspirants on the House,

He said: “I believe that the independence of the parliament is an important foundation for any progress that will be recorded. At the same time, stability and harmonious co-existence are also very important if we must achieve what we promised our people out there.

“Right now, there seems to be so much confusion. But in the days ahead, after consulting party leaders, one can speak clearly on these divisions and this contest viz-a-vis the need for an independent parliament, the need for stability and the need for harmonious co-existence.

“These disagreements are political in nature and they keep coming every four years. But I think that conversation must be shifted to the agenda of the 10th National Assembly.

“I think people are focusing so much on this leadership contest without discussing these people who want to be Speaker. What is their Legislative agenda as it has to do with the urgent need to restructure the country, secure the country, eradicate poverty, to ensure the economic well-being of the people?

“Now everybody is talking about who wants to be Speaker, who the party wants or does not want. But nobody is talking about what the Nigerian people want.

“We now have a country where the rate of poverty keeps increasing. Those who don’t have to keep increasing, and those who cannot sleep with two eyes closed keep increasing. The educational system is bad; there is so much disunity and division which also bring to the front burner the issue of how to unite the country and reduce the cost of government.

“How do we ensure that every segment of the country feels entitled to equity, fairness and justice? I think we should first x-ray these Candidates to know their capacity and how they understand the deep-rooted nature of legislative business and the kind of legislation that will impact people’s life.

“We must find a way of bringing these issues to the table instead of focusing more on who the party want or doesn’t want. After the end of the leadership contest on June 13, they will be faced with the business of lawmaking and if we elect people who don’t have interest and concern for the key issues facing Nigerians today, then we are going to have a problem,” Hon. Ugochinyere warned.

On his part, Hon. Cyril Hart (PDP, Rivers) observed that the 1999 Constitution (as amended) stipulates the “procedure that we should adopt as members to elect our presiding officers. I share the sentiment that the Majority Party should produce the leadership of the House even though I am of the PDP.

“Whatever you are seeing now will calm down and in the end, Nigeria will get the best out of it. So, there is no cause for alarm because it is all politics.

“Contest is free and anyone is free to contest, but my simple opinion is that the majority party, the APC with the highest number of Members-elect should produce the leadership. It’s an APC affair and I believe that they should be allowed to produce the leadership of the 10th Assembly.

“So, whatever they are doing is their business. I am only praying that the best emerges. What you are seeing is politics. The dust will settle and at the end of the day, Nigerians will get the best. So, no course for alarm,” he noted.

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