Speaker of the National Assembly, Femi Gbajabiamila, has told lawmakers that will form the 10th National Assembly that the president-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu will issue a directive to all contestants for the position of Speaker to withdraw from the race and support Tajudeen Abbas.
Gbajabiamila stated this while addressing members and members-elect in Abuja on Tuesday night at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja.
However, this has met with stiff opposition from members elect, who insisted that they should be allowed to choose who becomes the Speaker of the lower chamber, and not have candidates imposed on them by political parties.
The Speaker was accompanied to the event by Tajudeen Abbas, whom he said was the preferred choice of Tinubu. He said the President-elect will prevail on other contestants to step-down for the candidate he has endorsed to become speaker.
Gbajabiamila told the lawmakers that he had met with the President-elect on Tuesday to hold talks about the leadership of the 10th National assembly, and said Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has promised to invite Muktar Betara, who is a leading contestant for the position of speaker and instruct him to step-down for Abbas. This decision has caused so much discontent among lawmakers, who described the move as undemocratic, saying it will also impede on the independence of the Legislature, and promote the existence of a rubber stamp National Assembly.
The lawmakers have reportedly said they are united behind the choice of a popular candidate because they believe he has the best credentials fit for the office of Speaker, and that he also enjoys tremendous support from other lawmakers in the parliament. Some members, who addressed the press after the meeting, said they were unhappy with the manner with which Gbajabiamila is handling the Lower House, having also contested for the position of Speaker three times in the past, against the principle of zoning.
The lawmakers said they are committed to support the emergence of a popular candidate, and appealed to the President-elect not to attempt to truncate the democratic selection of the leadership of the National Assembly.
They insisted that facts are there to show that Hon. Muktar Betara has been the stabilising force in the 9th National Assembly, and is a natural choice for the position of Speaker and advised Tinubu not to be misled by Gbajabiamila, but should consult widely among lawmakers to know the facts on ground.
