Two of the leading aspirants of the just concluded election of 10th House of Representatives presiding officers, Hon. Idris Wase (APC-Plateau) and Hon. Sani Jaji (APC-Zamfara) on Tuesday, gave account of their decision to contest for the position of the Speaker, in deviance to the decision of the leadership of All Progressives Congress (APC).
The immediate past Deputy Speaker in the 9th Assembly, Hon. Wase who spoke after being nominated by Hon. Tijani Kayode Ibrahim (APC-Kwara) said: “My respected colleagues, Members-Elect, I stand to first of all appreciate God Almighty for the journey so far in my life. We are very few, 360 among the over 200 million Nigerians to represent them and act on their behalf.
“Colleagues, I want to thank you and appreciate you. I want to say that I believe democracy should strive. Democracy should strive. I believe in equity, fairness and justice. I believe that Nigeria must move forward. I believe that we don’t need to truncate and tie our hands down.
“It is in the light of this that I pray that God Almighty continue from what our founding fathers have done who have sacrificed their lives for democracy. My heart bleeds as I see what is going on in the country.
“Colleagues, we all fought and continue to fight for democracy. I hereby submit myself to be the voice of the voiceless to be the true representatives of the Nigerian populace, to be a co-partner into the Nigerian development project. I hereby accept the nomination,” Hon. Wase said.
On his part, Hon. Sani Jaji who also garnered 3 votes during the election, earlier accepted his nomination.
In his address, he said: “Today is a day of history, a day that all of us reckoned with democracy. This nomination comes to me as a source of concern and I feel excited that today on the 13 of June, I’m one of those who stand to protect and defend democracy.
“It’s like yesterday that we concluded the general election where all the political parties participated despite the fragile unity that we have in the country and by the grace of God we were able to overcome it.
“So, this election will not be different from the other one.
“We stand to believe power is from God. It’s only God that will give power to whoever he wishes and if given the opportunity we will do the needful.”
Meanwhile, fresh facts have emerged over the real reasons why the two Speakership nominees, Hon. Wase and Hon. Jaji lost the just concluded Presiding Officers’ election for the 10th session of the House of Representatives.
One of the lawmakers who spoke with Tribune Online on condition of anonymity disclosed that the duo failed to reach consensus with other lawmakers and were unable to produce a running mate as at the time of the election.
He observed that the two Aspirants who were part of the G6 coalition failed to reach a compromise with other allies, nor conceded to deputise them during series of meetings held to produce a Consensus Candidate for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively.
According to him, the immediate past Deputy Speaker and Hon. Jaji who was the Director General of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s campaign organisation in the North West did not have a Deputy as at the time of the election, which eventually produced Hon. Tajudeen Abbas as Speaker and Hon. Benjamin Kalu as Deputy Speaker.
He said: “it was glaring that the two Nominees came to the election ground unprepared.
“Their undoing started from the point where they couldn’t align with their contemporaries in the G6.
“The fallout of such uncompromising stance that both of them took, led to their inability to get someone as running mate till the time of the election.
“As you know, politics is a matter of give and take. You cannot go into such election without a running mate.
“As you also observed, the only female Aspirant among them, eventually voted for Hon. Tajudeen Abbas.
“That shows how uncoordinated they are and the result was evident.”
According to the result announced by the Clerk for the National Assembly, out of total number of 359 Members present during the inauguration of the 10th Assembly, 353 voted for Hon. Abbas, Hon. Wase secured 3 votes while Hon. Jaji also polled 3 votes.
During the election, one of the G6 Aspirants, Hon. Yusuf Gadgi (APC-Plateau) and other Members-elect from Plateau State who are kinsmen to Hon. Wase voted en-masse for Hon. Abbas.
In the same vein, aside Hon. Jaji who voted for himself, all the six Members-elect from Zamfara State voted for Hon. Abbas.
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