10th NASS Speakership: Don’t expect us to be loyal if your preferred choice stands – G7 tells APC
Seven candidates for the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives have united under the G7 platform to reject the zoning plan for leadership positions in the National Assembly that was announced on Monday by the National Working Committee, NWC, of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Ahmed Idris Wase, the deputy speaker of the house, Yusuf Gagdi, Mukhtar Aliyu Betara, and Sada Soli are the other members of the G7 group. Aminu Sani Jaji, honorable. Hon. Al Hassan Doguwa, the majority leader of the House of Representatives, and Hon. Mariam Onuha.
The G7 lawmakers described the zoning structure as unfair, unjust, and inequitable during a meeting with the APC NWC members in Abuja on Wednesday. They also promised to fight any attempts by foreign forces to impose a different system.
Speaking to APC Chairman Abdullahi Adamu, Hon. Mukhtar Aliyu Betara remarked, “I backed every APC member and some of our leaders running for office when we were heading into the election. Hearing that I participated in anti-party astonished me. My unit is on Biu, and my outcome is on INEC. You are welcome to ask for my unit’s results if the opposition party appears.
I also need to make clear that, according to what I’ve been told, the same outfit is accusing me of giving money to a presidential candidate. Thus, banks are available for any transfers to anyone. I still want to ask you, leaders: What would a presidential candidate deliver me if I give him money and he wins? I aspire to lead my party as speaker on my own. Can I take over as speaker if the other party wins? No. Therefore, we don’t need to threaten ourselves. Politics involves giving and receiving.
My accomplishments for the National Assembly while serving as chairman of the Army, the Defense Committee, and now Appropriations are attested to by our present colleagues. I coopted 100 people to my committee specifically so that I could stabilize the House for Femi, even though I have 38 members total, including my deputy chairman of the Appropriations Committee and myself. But right now, people like me, Gagdi, Miriam, Sada, and the House leader are vying for the position of speaker.
We are not against our leaders, but if we were to sit down and tell everyone to choose someone they thought they could get along with, that would be simple. Unfortunately, the person the speaker is attempting to choose is someone some of our coworkers don’t even know. I’m telling the truth; I’m not lying. If the party zoned the deputy senate president and the speaker to the same zone today and stated that we zoned to the north-west, I would have to sit and think about it. We’ve participated in this Assembly. There is never a period when a zone has two presiding officers. It’s never occurred before.
Speaking Hon. Gagdi further emphasized the error of the NWC’s suggested arrangement, saying that the party shouldn’t count on our devotion being upheld at the expense of justice, peace, and fairness. Only if you give us instructions that are consistent with this party’s principles can we respect the principles of justice, unity, and equity in the chamber. Do not believe that we have arrived here to follow any instructions or directives that have been provided to us.
When it comes to the presidential election, North Central was known to have a majority of Christians; with sincere apologies, let me say this; and the religious and tribal affiliations were attributed to the 2023 elections, but North Central resisted the temptation and gave four states to the President-elect, Asiwaju Ahmed Tinubu; delivered 11 senators.
The zone that performed so well for Mr. President will be demoted to party chairman and possibly, as they imply, secretary to the Government of the Federation; positions that the president or whoever can scream at them and they have no locus to speak for the people of North-central. The North-west delivered 10 with two states and the North-east 1 State with ten senators. We require equity. We require justice.
