House Speaker: Tinubu Will Not Make Jonathan, Buhari’s Mistakes – Shettima

The incoming Tinubu administration will prevent the experiences of 2011 and 2015 when members of the House of Representatives revolted against the candidates of the ruling party, Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima said on Friday.

He said former President Goodluck Jonathan lost control of his administration the day Aminu Tambuwal emerged as the speaker. He added that the singular act contributed to the defeat of the then-ruling party, PDP, in 2015.

He also said outgoing President Muhammadu Buhari failed to achieve much in his first term because of the election of candidates not endorsed by the ruling party as leaders of the parliament.

Mr Shettima spoke during a meeting with Tajueen Abbas, Ben Kalu and other members of the ‘Joint Task,’ a coalition of elected lawmakers who have pledged to support the choice of the ruling party, APC.

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had already adopted Messrs Abbas and Kalu as speaker and deputy speaker respectively.

The decision of the ruling party has been trailed by protests from other aspirants. They have formed a coalition called the Coalition of Progressive Speakership Aspirants (COPSA) to fight Mr Abbas.

Some of the members of the coalition include Deputy Speaker Idris Wase, Majority Leader Alhassan Doguwa, Sada Soli, Aminu Jaji, Yusuf Gagdi, Miriam Onuoha and Muktar Betara.

Speaking on the ongoing controversy trailing the speakership race, Mr Shettima said he is in constant talk with all the aggrieved aspirants in order to resolve the crisis.

“I will take it upon myself to reach out to the other contenders. Rt Hon Betara is my brother. We are from the same subregion, we are from the same state and I have the best relationship with him. I met him two nights ago, I will sustain that,” Mr Shettima said.

“Around 1 p.m. today, I met with Wase, the deputy speaker. We will continue with the engagements so we can have a rancour-free Assembly.

“When Obasanjo lost grip of the National Assembly, his first tenure was a failure. President Buhari could do little in his first because of the rancorous relationship between the executive and the legislature. What was accomplished in the last four years was because of the harmonious relationship between the executive and legislature.

“When President Goodluck Jonathan lost grip of the National Assembly when Rt. Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal emerged as the speaker, and that rancorous relationship culminate in his defeat in the 2015 general election. Mariam Onuoha is my friend, I will reach out to her.”

Why we picked Akpabio
Explaining the reason for the choice of Godswill Akpabio as the APC’s choice for senate president, Mr Shettima said the president-elect, Bola Tinubu, tried to prevent a situation where the Senate President will also be a Muslim.

What we are trying to avoid is a situation whereby the number one citizen, number two citizen, the number three citizen and the number four citizen are all of the same faith. That will validate the negative narrative of the Islamization of Nigeria.

“That is why my principal, a fair-minded individual, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu insists the number three citizen must come from the South/south (Christian). The stability of the nation is more important than any other consideration. We are talking about inclusivity,” he said.

In his remarks, Mr Abbas assured the president-elect that the 10th House will have a “harmonious relationship” with the executive.

In his remarks, Mr Abbas assured the president-elect that the 10th House will have a “harmonious relationship” with the executive.

It is my turn – Wase
On the day Mr Shettima was justifying the selection of Mr Abbas, another APC lawmaker was insisting on contesting for the speakership position.

The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, on Friday, officially joined the speakership race.

Speaking during his declaration at the Transcorp Hotel in Abuja, Mr Wase stated the now popular Yoruba phrase “emi lokan,” which translates as “it is my turn”. The phrase was popularised by Mr Tinubu.

“At this point, I will use the words of my leader, emi lokan, emi lokan, emi lokan”, Mr Wase said, referring to Mr Tinubu as his leader even though he rejects the latter’s endorsement of a different aspirant.

Mr Wase, from Plateau State, stated that the ruling party must follow the Nigerian constitution in ensuring that the North-central is not excluded from the distribution of offices even though the constitution does not state how such offices should be allocated.

“It must also be noted that it is only the North-central in the entire country that has not produced the Speaker in 24 years after the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999.

“Fellow Nigerians, Nigeria is built on the supremacy of the law and the sacredness of the constitution for justice to reign and to keep the peace in the country,” he said.

has not produced the Speaker in 24 years after the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999.

“Fellow Nigerians, Nigeria is built on the supremacy of the law and the sacredness of the constitution for justice to reign and to keep the peace in the country,” he said.

The reported zoning of the presiding officers of the 10th Assembly as done by the ruling party excluded the North-central.

The party said it decided on the zoning arrangement after consultations with Mr Tinubu who will be inaugurated as president on 29 May.

The new House of Representatives will be inaugurated on 13 June, about two weeks after the inauguration of the president.

The APC has zoned the positions of speaker and deputy senate president to the North-west, while the senate president and deputy speaker have been zoned to South-south and South-east respectively.

The APC, which has the highest number of seats in the Senate and House of Representatives, settled for Godswill Akpabio (South-south) and Barau Jibrin (North-west) for the positions of senate president and deputy senate president respectively.

Tajudeen Abbas and Ben Kalu

The party also endorsed Tajudeen Abbas (North-west) and Ben Kalu (South-east) for speaker and deputy speaker respectively.

Mr Wase is one of the leading APC lawmakers opposed to the party’s zoning arrangement. Others include House Leader Alhassan Doguwa, Muktar Betara, Sada Soli and Aminu Wali.

The aggrieved lawmakers, who have been re-elected and all seek to become the speaker, have formed a coalition called the Coalition of Progressive Speakership Aspirants (COPSA).

We will decide next speaker — Betara
Several members of the COPSA group attended the declaration of Mr Wase and reaffirmed their commitment to the struggle against the imposition of a candidate on the lawmakers.

Muktar Betara

Speaking on the alliance, Mr Betara said the selection of a consensus candidate must be done in consultation with all members.

“For us forming a group, we are not fighting, we are all APC members. A consensus candidate can be picked but we must sit and say this is the person we have picked to lead us. I assure all my colleagues, members-elect, and former members, we are not going to fight. We are going to agree to support one of us as the speaker,” Mr Betara said.

“We can pick the candidate from among ourselves but if we all sit down and decided on it. I assure all of you it is only one person that God would choose to be speaker. I assure you we are not going to have any issue. We are going to agree to support one of us as speaker,” he said. (PREMIUM TIMES)
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