10 in race for House of Reps Speaker

,,,,No fewer than 10 members of the House of Representatives are in the race to succeed Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, it was learnt yesterday.

The ranking legislators eyeing the seat include Deputy Speaker Ahmed Idris Wase (Plateau State, North Central); Aliyu Muktar Betara (Borno State, North East); Majority LeaderAlhassan Ado – Dongwa (Kano State, North West); Yusuf Gagdi (Plateau State, North Central); Olaide Akinremi (Oyo State, South West); Benjamin Kalu (Abia State, South East); Tajudeen Abbas (Kaduna State, North West); Abubakar Yalleman (Jigawa State, North Central), and Abdulraheem Olawuyi (Kwara State, North Central).

,,,,,However, a group, the National Conscience Movement (NCM), has alleged plans by an outgoing principal officer to impose his preferred choice, Abbas, Chairman of Committee on Land Transportation, on the 10th House.

The group also alleged that the principal officers has been dropping the name the president-elect to intimidate and blackmail other members-elect as he intensifies his plot.

,,,,,NCM, in a statement by its president, Ibrahim Gidado, vice president, Olanrewaju Nurudeen and secretary, Obinna Kalu, said the plot to impose is “unfair and not acceptable.”

According to the group, no Speaker has been imposed on the House, adding that the President-elect has also indicated neutrality.

,,,,,The group said:”He should allow the House to decide who becomes speaker, his meddling is a barrier to strengthening democratic paradigms. It is needless. He is not bigger than the House. He should not be permitted to set this self aggrandising precedent.

“The permeating culture of imposition of successors must not be tolerated in the Green Chamber. The President Elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, should not parade nor drag his name into his self-serving imposition bid.

,,,,,“He should not attempt to shift the goal post at the tail end of the game, through factoring in extraneous reasons to deny duly elected members their rights and privileges as bonafide honourable members of the House.”

It added: “The Principal Officer’s prevarication and sinister obscurantist antics are not good enough, they border on egocentricism, a feeling of being superior to others and a myopic sense of entitlement.

,,,,,,The elected House members are in the best position to decide who should be their Speaker and other Principal Officers.”