10th Assembly: Minority Caucus Resolves to Contest for Speakership, to Nominate Candidates

Udora Orizu in Abuja

Members of the opposition parties in the House of Representatives have said that they would contest for the position of Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the incoming 10th National Assembly.

The caucus had last month formed a coalition known as the “greater majority” to upstage the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Currently, the minority parties put together have 183 members-elect out of the 360 peopled green chamber.

The political parties that made up the caucus included Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Young People’s Party (YPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).

In a communique issued at the end of their meeting in Abuja, Tuesday night, they said they have the number to win the offices of the presiding officers.

The communiqué signed by the secretary of the group, Hon. Efosa Imasuen, disclosed that an 11-man committee had been set up to hunt for credible candidates for the position.

The members resolved as follows: “To Contest the office of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representative of the National Assembly. That we have resolved to set up an 11-man committee to scout for a credible and acceptable candidate that would vie for those offices, and then actively seek the unification of Nigerians along ethno-religious lines.

“The greater majority with more than 180 elected members (being over 50% of the elected member) will remain one indivisible coalition during the 10th National Assembly, with the interest of the country as its driving force. That the greater Majority of the 10th National Assembly will be continually guided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with the collective interest of Nigerians being its major concern.

“To assure Nigerians not to lose hope due to the country’s current unpleasant situation, including the disunity plaguing the nation, which is the direct consequence of APC’s misrule and that the greater majority of the incoming 10th National assembly will remedy these problems as a matter of priority. The great majority will continue to unify the coalition of opposition parties so that it can be an effective check on the ruling party in order to safeguard the rule of law,” it added.