Speakership race: We are yet to endorse any candidate, say opposition parties

Members-elect of the house of representatives from the opposition political parties say they are yet to endorse any candidate for the speakership position.

The minority caucuses, dubbed Greater Majority, explained that 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, said 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.

Last week, Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house, met with the opposition members-elect amid horse-trading by the All Progressives Congress (APC) to woo the caucuses ahead of the inauguration of the 10th assembly.

Agbedi, a ranking member, said 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 caucuses also inaugurated coordinators to lead the rep-elects in their states in consultation.

Agbedi said to arrive at a collective decision, the opposition group will inaugurate “state coordinators, who are going to meet at their different state levels” and “zonal coordinators, who will also work at the zonal level” so as to collate decisions made after due consultations.

He said the resolutions from the respective states are expected from their coordinators within one week.

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).