The Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Hon. Ado Doguwa and five other aspirants have stepped down from the speaker and deputy speakership race.
The aspirants made this decision at a meeting of members-elect under the auspices of the ‘10th Joint Task’ on Wednesday night in Abuja.
The speakership aspirants, Hon. Ado Doguwa (APC-Kano) Hon. Abdulraheem Olaoye (APC-Ogun) Hon. Makki Yalleman (APC-Jigawa state) stepped down for Hon. Tajudeen Abbas (APC-Kaduna state), the annointed candidate of the their party, APC.
Also, the deputy speakership aspirants, Hon. Abiola Makinde (APC-Ondo) Hon. Francis Waive (APC-Delta) and Hon. Julius Ihonberev (APC-Edo) also stepped down for Hon. Benjamin Kalu (APC-Abia)
It could be recalled that the All Progressive Congress (APC) had earlier endorsed Abbas and Kalu for the office of the speaker and deputy respectively.
The endorsement was further strengthened by the Minority Party Forum, a group of about 70 members-elect who announced their support for the duo.
Speaking on behalf of the speakership aspirant, Doguwa said that they had come to join the Abbas/Kalu campaign.
He said they all wanted to be speaker but there can only be one speaker at every given moment saying that they will support the party’s choice.
“I want to say on behalf of these great men around me here, that we have individually and collectively decided surrender our bid to become speaker this time around.
“We have resolved to support our great party and the man they have chosen to be speaker Hon. Tajudeen Abbas,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the deputy speaker aspirants, Hon. Julius Ihonberev said that there is a time when strategies and tactics needed to be adjusted to support a democratic process that would work.
He said that three of them wanted to be deputy speaker, believing that it will be zoned in their favour but it turned out differently.
“As loyal party persons, we decided to align with those that have been identified by the party
“The integrate, capacity and ability to carry people along, transparency and the energy to mobilise ideas that would change Nigeria for the better.
“We want to say we are absolutely, undilutedly in support of the ticket as announced by the party that Hon.Tajudeen Abbas will be our next speaker and Hon. Benjamin Kalu will be the next deputy speaker.
“We want to assure you that we are prepared to do all it takes to ensure the success of this project,” he said.
However, the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, Chairman Committee on Appropriation, Hon. Muktar Betara, Chairman Committee on Water Resources, Hon. Sada Soli, Hon. Mariam Onouha and Hon. Yusuf Gagdi are still in the race.