Lawmakers, who are aggrieved by the selection of Tajudeen Abbas as the consensus candidate for the presidency of the 10th House of Representatives, took their protest to the ruler’s National Labor Committee on Wednesday. Congress of all progressives (APC).
The legislators, under the aegis of the Coalition of Aspiring Progressive Presidents (COPSA), are made up of Vice President Idris Wase, Muktar Betara, Sada Soli, Aminu Sani Jaji, Yusuf Gagdi and Miriam Unuoha.
They presented their protest letter to the APC national chairman, Abdullahi Adamu, at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja.
Newslodge reported that Mr. Tinubu settled for Godswill Akpabio (South-South) and Barau Jibrin (North-West) for Senate President and Senate Vice President, respectively.
He also endorsed Tajudeen Abbas (Northwest) and Ben Kalu (Southeast) as co-speakers respectively.
The APC, on Monday, also adopted them during a meeting of the NWC.
We feel betrayed—Wase
In his speech, the vice president said the party betrayed the candidates by microzoning offices without consultation.
He said: “We are people who have been aspiring to the position of president of the House of Representatives in the X National Assembly.
“We remember that at the Village meeting, you asked us to slow down for the APC zoning arrangement.
“We feel betrayed as if our contributions are not recognized as if we are not members of this party.”
How Tinubu asked me to resign from Gbajabiamila in 2019 — Betara
In his speech, Mr. Betara told Mr. Adamu and NWC members that President-elect Bola Tinubu directly interfered in the 2019 presidential race by pleading with him to step down from Femi Gbajabiamila.
He added that he withdrew from the presidential race in 2019 at the request of Tinubu, who was then party leader.
“I was going to compete with the current speaker. He called me the president-elect (Tinubu) and told me: ‘I want you to allow Femi to be the speaker because Femi is withdrawing from the National Assembly.’
“From there we went on to support Femi to become the speaker. After our election in the 9th Assembly, the president-elect still called me and said: ‘Betara, I want you to hold the House for Femi and I said dad. I worked for Femi for four years.”
Betara also criticized the speaker and vice president of the Senate’s zoning in the Northwest.
“We have been in this Assembly, there is no time, two presidents are zoned to one area. It has never happened,” Betara said.
In his response, Adamu pleaded with the aggrieved lawmakers to give the party time to act on his letter. He assured them that the party will act.
“There must be a fair hearing before taking a position. We like the fact that you come very direct. It’s your party and we heard you.
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“I beg you in good conscience to give us time before we can firmly come to your demand. You have shown loyalty, we will invite you, in due time,” she said.
The inauguration of the 10th Assembly is scheduled for June 13.