The minority caucus in the house of representatives, popularly called ‘Greater Majority’ is leaving no stone unturned in its resolve to take advantage of its numerical superiority to produce principal officers in the 10th national assembly.
To this end it has set up a committee with the responsibility to screen and recommend candidates for leadership positions.
Spokespersons for the group, Messrs Victor Ogene, Dachung Bogos and Gaza Gbefwi, said in a joint statement made available to journalists in Abuja that the speaker of the house would come from the minority caucus, as long as it has more members than the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
While the opposition parties have 183 members-elect, the ruling APC has 177.
Among other things, the group blamed APC’s lack of a united front in the run up to the election of the speaker as a motivating factor for its decision to go for the top job.
“Consequently, and in keeping with its resolve in that regard, the “Greater Majority” of the 10th house of representatives has put together an 11-man committee – complemented by a chairman and secretary – charged with the task of short listing, screening and eventual recommendation of aspirants for the speakership and deputy speaker positions.”
“The committee would be chaired by a long-standing member of the house of representatives, the Rt. Hon. Nicholas Mutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), while another ranking member and caucus leader of the Labour Party, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, has been appointed as secretary. The Committee has one week to turn in its report,” the statement added.
Other members are Messrs Abdulmumini Jibrin, deputy chairman (NNPP), Oluwole Oke, (PDP); Beni Lar, (PDP); Ali Isa, (PDP); Kabiru Rurum, (NNPP); Donatus Kuzalio, (LP); Yusuf Majigiri, (PDP); Nnabuife Clara, (YPP); Gwacham Chinwe, (APGA); and Idris Salman, (ADC)
