A member of the House of Representatives and the Chairman, House Committee on Appropriations, Hon Muktar Betara, has formally declared his intentions to run for the speakership of the tenth Assembly.
He made his intentions known at a gathering in Abuja.
He said that he has the required experience and expertise to be the speaker.
“All has been said about Betara, but the most important thing today is for me to declare that I am contesting for the speakership of the tenth Assembly,” Betara said.
He said that he was happy to see the faces of his colleagues from the ninth assembly.
In a swift reaction to the announcement by the APC National Working Committee on the zoning of the NASS leadership during Betara’s declaration, Hon Ado Doguwa said the parliament must always be allowed to choose its leaders.
He said that it was not for outsiders to decide who leads the House.
“One message I want to our across is that the parliament is one institution that must always be allowed to choose own leaders. The business of our leadership should be solely our business and no other person’s business. In a situation where you have some people in whatsoever guise trying to decide our leadership, to form our leadership from outside without consulting us I think that should be seen as a mere failure.
I remain available for consultations until that is done , every one will answer his father’s name,” Hon Doguwa said.
Similarly, the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Idris Wase, faulted the choice of the chairman, House Committee on Land Transport Tajudeen Abass, by the All Progressives Congress ( APC) as its consensus candidate for speakership of the 10th House.
He called on lawmakers not to allow the parliament to be hijacked.
” Again, I want to add that we are here to ensure the independence of the parliament. To ensure that we work together. Every Parliamentarian must rise to the occasion. We will work as a term. We will not allow this parliament to be hijacked. We will not allow this parliament to be made a lame duck. I believe we are loyal to our country first. Loyal to our party and loyal to our people. When say you you have a consensus candidate, the language for consensus is that there have been mass consultations, people go to table for discussion. There is agreement. In this case, we just saw and we are hearing rumors, speculations that some people have been made consensus candidates. I don’t know whether that is the meaning of consensus. This place is very sacred. We must be Honourable in our action in defence of the federal republic if Nigeria.” Hon Wase said.
He noted that the consensus requires discussion by critical stakeholders and wide consultations.
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