South-East APC Demands Reps Speakership
The South East, All Progressives Congress, APC, Youths Consultative Forum, has called on the leadership of the party to zone the position of the speaker to the zone.
National Coordinator of South East APC youths group, Romanus Oguleme told journalists in Abuja that the zone has credible and ranking members of the party in the National Assembly to head any of the two chambers.
He further stated that the zone should not be schemed out in the National Assembly leadership as was experienced in 2015, adding that zoning the speakership to the southeast was in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s promise of inclusive government.
The group argued that the excuse in 2015 that South East APC didn’t have ranking members to be considered for positions of principal officers cannot be used again as the region has two returning members in the House.
According to Oguleme, “We categorically state that the South-East has two ranking members of the APC and these two: chairman, House Committee on Healthcare Services, Chike Okafor and chairperson, House Committee on Aviation, Nkeiru Onyejeocha are eminently qualified to run for Speaker or to be appointed as principal officers.
“If the performance of both members in the 8th Assembly should be used as criteria, they have proven themselves capable of handling delicate and sensitive assignments.
“The Okafor-led Healthcare Services Committee is effectively performing its oversight functions in the health sector, with many Nigerians still remembering the highly publicised probe into the alleged N351 billion fraud in the NHIS as well as stakeholders’ commendation of the House sub-committee of Primary Healthcare Care revitalisation. Onyejeocha performed creditably well in leading her committee in ensuring a good standard of efficiency in the aviation sector.”
In a related development, member representing Ezza North /Ishielu Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Anayo Nwonu yesterday expressed optimism that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, will produce the next Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Nwonu who addressed journalists during the last rerun of the State Assembly election in his constituency explained that PDP being a minority in the 9th Assembly will not affect legislative processes.
He said: “National politics and legislative politics are quite different. The fact that we reduced in number will not really affect any legislative process in the green chambers. For now, we are already shopping for who will become the next speaker and I know Peoples Democratic Party PDP is the main people to decide who will be the speaker of the 9th Assembly.
“In fact, let me tell you, as we are being sworn in, PDP will definitely gain back its number.”
According to him, “what PDP is saying is to counsel the Presidential election, they are not saying that the whole elections should be counselled, the governors are congratulating INEC where they did well but blame them where they didn’t do well.
“Everyone in Nigeria knows that the presidential elections were a completely rigged election. But I pray PDP will go to court and take their mandate back” he said.
“My people are not aggressive, the point is that Ezza north people understand the politic of the day so they are always political conscious, what makes it look as if there is always a problem or fight in my place is the case of outsiders trying to throw a stone on a class house.
“But as a lawmaker we are trying to stop that, what happened in the last elections will not repeat itself in Izzi north, in fact in the entire constituencies.”
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