10th NASS Leadership : Legislative Aides drum support for Barau, Tajudeen

By Iyojo Ameh
Forum of National Assembly Legislative Aides from North West , has called on Senators and Members – elect for the 10th National Assembly , contesting for leadership positions outside the choices recently made by the National Working Committee ( NWC) of the All Progressives Congress ( APC) , to back down .

The forum made the call in Abuja at a special press conference within the premises of the National Assembly .

The NWC of APC had in its zoning arrangements for the leadership of 10th National Assembly , picked Senator Godswill Akpabio from South – South , as preferred candidate for Presidency of the Senate and Senator Jibrin Barau from North West for Deputy President of the Senate .

The party in a statement signed to that effect by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka , picked Hon Tajudeen Abbas from North West for the Speakership position of the House of Representatives and Hon Benjamin Kalu from South East for Deputy Speakership position .

The zoning arrangement was however not respected by some other APC federal lawmakers – elect interested in the positions like Abdulaziz Yari from Zamfara West ,vying for Senate President , Sani Musa vying for Deputy Senate President , Muktar Betara , vying for Speakership of the House of Representatives etc ..

But in their support for the choices made by the NWC of APC , the National Assembly Legislative Aides from North West , said the party was in order for picking Senator Jibrin Barau for Deputy President of the Senate and Rt Hon Tajudeen Abbas for Speakership of the House of Representatives .

The forum in its statement signed by Zonal Leader, Abdulrazaq Dunkawa and Secretary, Silas Gabriel Garba , said Northwest deserved the two presiding officers’ positions zoned to it , for contributing the highest number of votes to the APC in the Presidential and National Assembly elections .

The statement reads in part : ” We Legislative Aides from the North West like to place on record that the geo – political zone contributed the highest number of votes to the APC in the Presidential and National Assembly elections .

” Results from the elections show that North West played crucial role of keeping APC in power by securing the majority of Honourable members and Distinguished Senators in both chambers .

“The Zone no doubt rightly deserves the zoning made by the party as far as leadership of the 10th National Assembly is concerned .

” We therefore call on other contestants to allow for party supremacy to establish discipline , order and legislative democracy to thrive in the 10th National Assembly ” .