Speakership: 106 Of 143 N’West, N’Central Members-Elect Back Abbas, Kalu …as Abass’ Group Calls For Unity Among Contenders head Of Inauguration

By Iyojo Ameh

The Speakership and Deputy Speakership candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the incoming 10th National Assembly, Rt. Hon. Tajudeem Abbas PhD and Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, may have consolidated their leading status as the candidates to beat in the Speakership race.

This was as the duo have garnered more endorsements in the last 48 hours, following the resolution by 106 out of the 143 combined members-elect from the North West and North Central geopolitical Zones threw their weights behind their candidature on Tuesday.

With the latest development, the Abbas/Kalu ticket appears to be getting closer a landslide victory on Tuesday, June 13, 2023.

This newspaper gathered that during the separate endorsement meetings in Abuja on Tuesday, 72 out of 92 members-elect from the North West zone and 32 out of 51 from North Central lawmakers declared their support for the ticket as part of the ongoing operation ‘Meet-The-Caucuses’ embarked upon by Abass and Kalu.

The meeting which held in the Ladi Kwali Hall of the old Sheraton Hotel Abuja had in attendance, member-elect from the North Wes, while those of the North Central held at the Transcorp Hilton respectively.

Other zones of South-South and North East will followed suit on Wednesday while Southeast and Southwest will be held on Thursday.

Briefing newsmen on the progress so far, the Communication Adviser to the Tajudeen-Ben Kalu group (TBK) and lawmaker elect for Ideato North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere, described the success recorded so far as a victory for the growing quest to build a stable, strong, united, harmonious and all-inclusive House that will deliver on life-changing people’s legislations that will help to deliver on the renewed hope agenda of the present administration.

According to him, the massive support from all zones and ethnic and religious divides is clear evidence of members’ commitment to seeing Nigeria move forward, and an indication of a significant buy-in into the Abass and Kalu message of unity and competence rooted in inclusiveness and teamwork.

Hon. Ikenga described Abbas and Kalu’s legislative competence and capacity, plus their unrelenting reaching out and door-to-door engagement with members-elect, as “one of the reasons for the across-board acceptance.”

Ikenga said “the commitment of the Abbas/Kalu to a peoples’ 10th NASS leadership is not in doubt, as shown by the readiness of Abbas/Kalu to carry every member along in the quest to deliver on the agenda for a peoples parliament that will help in realizing the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.”

He said “Abbas and Kalu’s team spirit and unity are the first of their kind in the leadership race, with a Speaker and Deputy running together with a clear agenda for the members and the country.”

Ugochinyere therefore urged other aspirants to let go their ambitions, and support the duo towards delivering a people’s oriented 10th National Assembly.

He expressed optimism that “Abbas and Kalu’s Commitment with help deliver the renewed hope agenda of President Tinubu and also ensure a working and independent legislature endeared them to the lawmakers elect who agree that the 10th Nass needs a competent leadership with team spirit, unity, and INCLUSIVENESS which Abass and Kalu represent.”

“After Abbas and Kalu presented their road map to the lawmakers-elect from the two regions, they rose in their different zonal engagement with them and resolved to vote for the duo in a landslide. They praised the legislative competence of Abbas and Kalu, which saw them moving over 100 bills that have over 23 already signed into law, and said the 10th Nass couldn’t miss such men with an iroko style legislative capacity rooted in teamwork, inclusiveness, and humility.

“They appreciated Abbas and Kalu’s unrelenting engagement with lawmakers with opposing views that they reached out, and extending hands of fellowship is something worthy of commendation. Odds are in their favour in winning the election come June 13th with the gale of endorsements flying in from all corners. Currently 106 out of 141 lawmakers-elect from Northwest and North Central (72 out of 92 lawmakers elect from the North West zone and 32 out of 51 North Central lawmakers) have declared their support at the ongoing zonal caucuses meeting by Abass and Kalu. In the coming days, we are optimistic that more members-elect will declare their support for the duo.”