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10th NASS: Betara Reveals Reason For Opposition Towards APC Zoning Arrangement
Speakership candidates must be consulted before someone is chosen as the speaker of the 10th parliament, according to Muktar Betara, a member from the Biu/Bayo/Shani federal constituency in Borno.
On Monday night in Abuja, Betara declared his intention to run for speaker.
However, Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu had been proposed by the All Progressives Congress as their top choices for the offices of speaker and deputy, respectively.
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A number of candidates for the speakership had protested the nominations.
Speaking on Friday during the declaration of the speakership bid of Idris Wase, the deputy speaker, Betara spoke on the agitations of the lawmakers interested in the position.
“For us, we formed this group because we are opposed to the zoning arrangement of the party. We are not fighting and we would not fight. We are in support of a consensus candidate,” he said.
“We can pick the candidate from among ourselves but if we all sit down and decide on it. I assure all of you it is only one person that God would choose to be speaker. I assure you, we are not going to have any issues. We are going to agree to support one of us as speaker.
“Members-elect, aspirants, I came here to appreciate my brother, the deputy speaker, and others for finding time to attend my declaration. I have known the deputy speaker since 2007 and we have been together since then.
“For us forming a group, we are not fighting, we are all APC members. A consensus candidate can be picked but we must sit and say this is the person we have picked to lead us. I assure all my colleagues, members-elect, former members, we are not going to fight. We are going to agree to support one of us as speaker.”
