10th Speakership: Group Hails Tinubu, APC’s Choice of Abass

Juliet Akoje in Abuja.

A group, Defenders of Constitutional Democracy (DCD), has commended the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, and leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for endorsing Hon. Tajudeen Abass for the speakership of the 10th House of Representatives.

In a statement yesterday in Abuja by its National convener, Alhaji Aliyu Abdullahi and the Director, Contact and Mobilisation, Dr. Chukwuma Okoro, the group said the decision of the party was in line with democratic best practices.

It said the North West where Abass hailed from delivered the highest number of votes to APC in the presidential election and it was only proper that the zone should be rewarded with the number four position in the country.
“We received the news of the zoning of the position of speaker of the House of Representatives to the North West with utmost gladness and the subsequent endorsement of Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abass as the preferred candidate with great joy because a labourer deserves his wages.

“The North West gave the APC 2,652,824 million votes even when both the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and his vice-president-elect, Senator Kashim Shettima were not from the zone. In fact, Tinubu got 30 per cent of his total votes from the North West. This shows that the zone is loyal to the party and its candidates.

“Therefore, ceding the speakership position to the zone has shown that Tinubu and his team truly believes in a reward system that encourages hard work, capacity and loyalty. Hon. Tajudeen Abass is the most competent lawmaker from the zone having being the highest bill sponsor in the 8th and 9th Assemblies.

“Hon. Abass is humble, unassuming, competent, reliable and a loyal party man to the core. The incoming administration of Asiwaju Tinubu needs his experience and integrity to properly implement the Renewed Hope Agenda and appealed to other contestants from the zone and other zones to accept Abass’ endorsement and work for the success of the party,” it said.