Speakership Race: We Have Not Endorsed Any Candidate – Opposition Parties

Posted by Nwa Diokpa Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Tuesday, May 23rd, 2023

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Members-elect of the House of Representatives from the opposition political parties have stated that they have not endorsed any candidate for the speakership position so far.

According to the minority caucuses, they are still consulting and will come up with a decision before the election of the speaker and deputy.

Speaking at a meeting at the Transcorp Hilton Hotel on Monday, Fred Agbedi, convener of the group, stated that as part of the consultation, they met with Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), and Rabiu Kwakwanso, standard-bearer of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in the 2023 elections.

The African Examiner recalls that last week, the present speaker of the house, Femi Gbajabiamila, met with the opposition members-elect to woo the caucuses ahead of the inauguration of the 10th assembly.

Agbedi, a ranking member, stated that the opposition reps-elect needs to be guided by interacting with their “leaders in our constituencies”.

“We need to interact with our party stakeholders and all that in arriving at a decision that will be well for us. Your conveners and other leaders have not either on your behalf or for you, adopted anybody for the office of presiding officers. That will only take place when that agreement is reached by all of us. That decision will be our collective decision,” he said.

The African Examiner writes that the opposition reps cut across the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Africa Democratic Congress (ADC), Young Peoples Party (YPP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the Social Democratic Party (SDP).