‘I’m reaching out’ — Shettima to persuade speakership aspirants to step down for Abbas, Kalu

Kashim Shettima, vice-president-elect, on Friday, met with some of the house of representatives members-elect for the 10th assembly.

The meeting with the reps-elect, including returning and new lawmakers, was held at the residence of the vice-president-elect in Abuja.

The sit-down was organised by the Joint Task, an alliance of eight political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking at the meeting, Shettima said he was “reaching out” to the contestants in the race to possibly step down for Tajudden Abbas and Benjamin Kalu for the positions of speaker and deputy respectively.

TheCable had reported how the ruling party picked Abbas and Kalu as its preferred candidates for the positions of presiding officers of the house of representatives.

But other APC reps in the race have expressed reservations over the party’s choices, saying that the APC did not consult them before taking the decision.

Addressing the reps-elect, Shettima said he has been meeting with the aspirants in the race to persuade them to support the party’s choice.

“I will take it upon myself to reach out to the other contenders. Muktar Betara is my brother. We are from the same sub-region, we are from the same state and I have the best relationship with him,” he said.

“I met him two nights ago, I will sustain that discussion so that at the end of the day there will be no winner, no vanquished.

“Around 1 pm today I met with Idris Wase, the deputy speaker. He is someone very close to me. We will continue with the engagements so that we shall have a rancour-free 10th assembly.

“Mariam Onuoha is my friend, I will reach out to her so that together, we can form one person.”

Shettima said the executive can only achieve little without the support of the national assembly.

“When Obasanjo lost grip of the national assembly, his first tenure was a failure. It was largely enmeshed in one crisis after another. It was when he got a grip on the national assembly — not a complaint national assembly, but a united national assembly. (He was then) able to achieve a lot in his second term,” he said.

“President Muhammadu Buhari could do little in his first term fundamentally because of rancorous or the strained relationship between the executive and the legislature. What was accomplished in the last four years was because of the harmonious relationship between the executive and legislature.

“When President Goodluck Jonathan lost grip of the national assembly when Aminu Waziri Tambuwal emerged as the speaker, that rancorous relationship eventually culminated in his defeat in the 2015 general election.“

In his remarks, Abbas said he and Kalu will not “disappoint”.

“We will discharge our responsibility with utmost efficiency,” he said.

“After June 13, if God makes it possible, we will be the ones on the ring of leadership that the national assembly will be exceptionally guarded.

“We want to assure you that we will work harmoniously together. We will corporate in the best way possible.”