Contests for the positions of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives have divided the coalition of minority members-elect, The PUNCH reliably learnt on Sunday.

It was learnt that while the ‘10th Assembly Greater Majority’, a group of the minority lawmakers-elect, was backing a Borno State member, Aliyu Betara, a new coalition was supporting Tajudeen Abbas endorsed by the All Progressives Congress.

However, many lawmakers-elect are pulling out of the ‘10th Assembly – Greater Majority’, a coalition of Peoples Democratic Party and other minority parties with elected members in the 10th House.

The aggrieved opposition members, including those from Rivers State, who are loyal to Governor Nyesom Wike, are scheduled to launch a parallel minorities’ coalition to be known as the Minority Parties’ Forum on Monday (today).

The new development came as the 10th Assembly: Greater Majority, planned to unveil aspirants for the positions of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker in the opposition camp this week.

The coalition had on May 2, 2023, declared that it would ultimately field candidates for the offices of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker from among its ranks.

According to the coalition, the move became necessary due to the “discordant tunes coming from the stable of the ruling APC.” The opposition members-elect said they resolved to step into the arena, by offering credible and alternative leadership options, as there are 183 members in the coalition while the ruling party has 177.

The 10th Assembly: Greater Majority had consequently set up an 11-man committee charged with the task of short-listing, screening and eventual recommendation of aspirants within one week.

The committee is made up of Nicholas Mutu (PDP) as Chairman, Victor Ogene (LP) as Secretary, and Abdulmumini Jibrin (NNPP) as Deputy Chairman. Others are Oluwole Oke, Jonathan Gbefwi, Beni Lar, Ali Isa, Alhassan Rurum, Mathew Kuzalio, Salisu Majigiri, Nnabuife Chinwe, Gwacham Maureen, and Idris Salman.

According to Ogene, who spoke to our correspondent on Saturday, some members of the 10th Assembly: Greater Majority have indicated interests in running for the leadership positions. He had also hinted that the opposition members might consider and adopt a candidate among the aspirants in the ruling APC.

However, a member-elect, Solomon Bob (PDP/Rivers), in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday, disclosed that some members of the 10th Assembly: Greater Majority were pulling out and launching a new group of opposition members on Monday.

Bob alleged that the 10th Assembly: Greater Majority was billed to adopt the current Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Betara, as its candidate.

Ironically, the Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Iduma Igariwey (PDP/Ebonyi), is said to be leading the factional minorities’ coalition which is billed to adopt candidates anointed by the APC. An NNPP member from Kano State, Alhassan Rurum, will be the secretary of the pressure group.

The lawmaker said, “I belong to Joint Task – 10th Assembly; I don’t belong to the Greater Majority. In fact, they are the minor minority now, with the way we are going. We will form another coalition called Minority Parties’ Forum. We are launching tomorrow (Monday). It is parallel to that one, so that we will let the whole world know that there is one Minority Parties’ Forum.

They cannot come and seek to monopolise the perception out there that the minorities are in one basket and they are (allegedly) pushing for Betara. We have steered the public perception, giving the false impression that all minorities are for Betara. That is not true.”

When asked about the leader of the new coalition, Bob said, “Igariwey is the one coordinating (the coalition) and Alhassan Rurum is the secretary.”

Responding to a question on why Igariwey would oppose Betara’s speakership ambition despite being deputy chairman and chairman of the same committee, respectively, Bob said, “Igariwey has not been with Betara from Day 1. Being deputy to Betara in a term that is ending is one thing, trying to usher in another term is a different thing.”

When asked about the claim by the 10th Assembly: Greater Majority that has more members-elect than the APC caucus, the Rivers lawmaker claimed that the Minority Parties’ Forum would have more opposition members.

Bob stated, “Where will they get the numbers from? Everybody in Oyo State; the 14 members are with us. In Osun, out of nine, they have only one and that is Wole Oke; all the eight are with us. In Rivers, all 13 members are with us. In Akwa Ibom, all 10 are with us. Where, then, will they get the numbers from?”

The PDP member, however, admitted that the Minority Parties’ Forum would adopt the APC candidates. “We are going for Tajudeen Abbas, the person endorsed by the APC,” he said.

When contacted, Igariwey confirmed the development but said the move was only to reposition the 10th Assembly: Greater Majority.

He said, “It is actually another group in the minority caucus. Greater Minority is not our slogan. It is still the same group but the only difference is that we are trying to reposition the group. It is still the same group of minorities being populated by the same people.”

When asked about leaders and members of the Greater Majority who have been attending meetings by the Joint Task – 10th Assembly, a coalition of members-elect of the APC and opposition parties which has adopted the zoning plan of the ruling party, Igariwey said, “We are going to have our meeting tomorrow. We will come out with something like a communiqué with which you will be better informed about it.”

Ogene (LP/Anambra), who speaks for the 10th Assembly: Greater Majority, was contacted on the number of aspirants in the opposition coalition who had indicated an interest in the speakership race as well as the emergence of another group.

He, however, referred our correspondent to the coordinators of the group, Messrs Fred Agbedi (PDP/Bayelsa), Jonathan Gbefwi (SDP/Nasarawa) and Dachung Bagos (PDP/Plateau).

However, neither Agbedi nor Gbefwi and Bagos picked up the calls made to them.

Meanwhile, ahead of the June 13 inauguration of the 10th Senate, the South-South Youth Alliance on Sunday said those against the choice of Godswill Akpabio as Senate President were against the “will of God” for Nigeria.

The youth group in a statement issued in Abuja described Akpabio as a “democrat“ who is qualified for the position of the top senate job.

The statement signed by the coordinator of the group, Benjamin Nwizua reads, “Senator Akpabio was a performing governor of Akwa Ibom State who earned the title, uncommon governor. He proceeded to the Senate where he became Minority leader and later minister of Niger Delta Affairs.”

Also, a group of the ruling party under the aegis of the Progressives Foundational Movement has thrown its weight behind Abass as the next Speaker.

The group also pleaded with the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, and the leadership of APC not to bow to pressure and subtle threat to remove Abbas from the list of anointed candidates.

The appeal was contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by PFM National Coordinator, Aganaba Johnson.

But a group, the Northern Business Roundtable has called on Senators elected on the various party platforms to rally round former Zamfara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari in his ambition of becoming the Senate President.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Sunday, the spokesperson for the group, Larai Kolo said Yari had the competence and character to lead the Senate.

Credit: Punch