Minority Parties Forum Endorse APC Candidates

Juliet Akoje in Abuja

A group known as the Minority Parties Forum in the House of Representatives, yesterday, endorsed the preferred candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th Assembly.

Chairman of the forum, Igariwey Iduma Enwo, while speaking at the meeting/dinner last night,  said it was not a splinter group from an earlier minority group of the House known as Greater Majority, adding that the  parties that formed the forum included the Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, New Nigeria People’s Party, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Young Progressives Party, Social Democratic Party and African Democratic Congress.

The meeting was attended by 67 returning and fresh members.

Presenting the communique signed by himself and the Secretary of the forum, Kabiru AlHassan Rurum, he noted that, “We, the members of the underlisted political parties elected into the 10th Assembly of the House of Representatives, having reviewed the number and composition of the 10th Assembly and having considered the need for the minority parties to play an effective, crucial, and credible role in the composition of the leadership and running of the 10th Assembly hereby resolve as follows.

“That we will be united and focused on the primary responsibility of the minority parties in the 10th Assembly, which is to provide a vibrant and credible opposition in Parliament for the entrenchment of good governance in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“That we will severally and jointly work for the passage of laws and motions, which will promote the prosperity and wellbeing of Nigerians and advance the civil liberties and benefits entrenched in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“In furtherance of our resolve to play a leading role in the formation of the leadership of the 10th Assembly and as a result of our diligent interactions with all aspirants for the position of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, we hereby resolve to support the duo of the Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Rt. Hon Benjamin Kalu respectively as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.

“That we have found in the two persons of Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu, a leadership that will allow for fairness, equity as well as provide equal platform for all political parties represented in Parliament to have a say in the running of the legislature and expression of alternate views on issues of public interest.”