Speakership: Opposition Caucus Disagree Over APC’s Consensus Candidates

Confusion has engulfed the camp of the opposition caucus as members-elect from the opposition parties called ‘The Greater Majority’ are divided over candidates to support for the position of Speakership and Deputy Speakership.

TRACKNEWS gathered that the opposition caucus held two separate meetings at Transcorp Hilton and Frazier Suites in Abuja on Monday night to discuss candidates to support.

The two meeting, as learnt from TRACKNEWS , ended with two separate resolutions.

While the faction from Transcorp Hilton decided to support the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate, Tajuddeen Abbas (APC, Kaduna) and Benjamin Kalu (APC, Abia) as Speaker and Deputy, respectively, the other faction from Frazier Suites didn’t agree on who to support, as they had no member of the minority that has interest to contest.

The resolution from the group from Transcorp Hilton was contained in a communique signed by the Convener, Idu Igariwey, and Secretary, Kabiru Alhassan Rurum.

However, the other faction from Frazier Suites through it’s secretary, Victor Afam Ogene explained that the group has no specific candidate to support because no member from their camp has interest to contest for the position of speaker or deputy speaker.

Ogene said “The committee called on Members of the minority caucus who are interested in the speakership position or Deputy Speaker position to step forward.

“I wish to report on behalf of the Chairman of that Committee and the entire members, as at the end of the period given to undertake that assignment no member of the minority caucus better known as the greater majority stepped forward to contest for the role of presiding officers.

“Deductively this means that we are not bidding for those two positions. However we remain united as one caucus of the opposition parties.

“We did also met with those aspiring for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives, but because we’ve not briefed our members, I will not go into details of our interface. But I can assure you everyone that put him or herself running for the position appear to be qualified.”

It was learnt that hitherto their separate meetings, the opposition caucus had set up an 11 man committee to find candidates from within the group interested in the position of the speaker and deputy speaker.

The ‘Greater Majority’ has members across the seven opposition parties in the incoming 10th House of Representatives, which include the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), New Nigeran Peoples Party (NNPP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Action Democratic Congress (ADC).