The lawmakers-elect on the opposition platforms in the House of Representatives have declared their readiness to contest for the speakership and deputy speakership positions in the 10th national assembly.
Lawmakers-to-be on the platform of the seven opposition platforms have said they would participate in the speakership contest and field candidates for the positions.
The newly elected lawmakers said they were motivated by their numbers in the lower chamber of the national assembly.
The decision was made following an emergency meeting of the minority camps at Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, the nation’s capital.
In a statement released by the spokesperson of the minority group, Victor Adam Ogene, he said the just concluded supplementary elections conducted on Saturday have increased the number of the minority caucus to 182.
He said the minority camp hopes to welcome other interested members.
The statement reads, “Besides the issue of ranking, every member is entitled to run for the office of Speaker, regardless of political party affiliation.
“The All Progressives Congress, APC, or indeed, any political party for that matter, reserves the right to regale itself with talks about micro-zoning leadership positions in the National Assembly. But the overriding question remains, are such fanciful engagements binding of the generality of Members-Elect? The answer today, tomorrow – and until our current constitution is altered to reflect that desire – is a big No.
“Issues surrounding this all-important question is easily resolved, in the case of the House of Representatives, by Section 50(1)(b), to wit:” There shall be a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, who shall be elected by the members of that House from among themselves.
“While zoning is permitted, as an intra-party solution to the sharing of political offices, seeking to enforce such on the generality of members would be tantamount to affronting Section 50 of the Nigerian constitution.
“Besides, political parties must not always use the National Assembly as guinea pigs for their zoning fancies. Why didn’t these governors summon the same courage, which they currently seek to flaunt, during the presidential primaries, by micro-zoning the presidency to a particular zone? If it was okay to say that the presidential ticket should go to the South, then I think they ought to follow through with that same template and propose, for instance, that the Speakership should go to the North.”