Several aspirants for the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives in Nigeria’s 10th National Assembly are organizing themselves against the candidates adopted by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

This move was made after the APC announced consensus candidates without adequate consultation with stakeholders in the House.

The party officially nominated a former Minority Leader of the Senate, Senator Godwin Akpabio, from the South-South, as its consensus candidate for the position of Senate President, while Senator Barau Jibrin, from the North-West, was nominated for the position of Deputy Senate President.

In the House, the seat of Speaker was zoned to the North-West, with Tajudeen Abbas, as the consensus candidate. The South-East clinched the slot of Deputy Speaker, with Benjamin Kalu emerging as the party’s candidate.

However, current Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriations, Aliyu Betara, declared his speakership bid amidst reports of the zoning plan released by the APC.

ALSO READ: Abia lawmaker of Labour Party endorses Abass for house of representatives speaker

Members of the group opposing the APC aspirants include Deputy Speaker Ahmed Wase, Majority Leader Alhassan Ado Doguwa, Chairman of the House Committee on Water Resources Sada Soli, and former House member and current member-elect, Sani Jaji. Another front-runner in the speakership race, Yusuf Gagdi, was also in attendance.

Wase, who spoke at Betara’s declaration, said, “We are here for the very reasons enumerated by Sada (Soli), to ensure the independence of the parliament, to ensure that we work as a family.

We will work as a team. We will not allow this parliament to be disgraced. 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, loyal to our people.”

Betara said he was shocked that Femi Gbajabiamila, the current Speaker of the House, did not nominate one of the House leaders and key members of the House to be the next Speaker.

According to him, many current members of the chamber do not know Abbas. Doguwa, who had earlier said he would obey the decision of the APC, said he remained in the race.