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10th NASS: Wase Vows To Vie For Speakership After Meeting With Buhari
Ahmed Wase, the deputy speaker of the house of representatives, made a commitment on Friday in Abuja to continue running for speaker of the 10th national assembly.
This is in spite of the ruling party’s determination to zone the office to the north-east, the All Progressives Congress.
“I am in the race! And by the grace of God, I am going to conclude the race. I have not withdrawn or stepped down for anybody,” Wase told State House Correspondents on Friday after meeting President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Rock Villa, Abuja.
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The APC’s nominated candidates for Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th House, Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu, were adopted by the Joint Task – 10th Assembly, a coalition of members-elect of the APC and opposition parties, on Wednesday, according to outgoing Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila.
He claimed that as compensation for the zone, the APC granted the North-West the Speakership and Deputy Senate Presidency.
Wase countered that the letter from the APC National Working Committee, which described the zoning as advisory, also permits further debate of the issue.
According to him, the 1999 Constitution’s Section 14(4) as amended, which specifies that the makeup of the government, including its agencies, should reflect federal character, is in conflict with the letter’s advising nature.
The outgoing deputy speaker said ignoring the deputy speakership for his zone not only flouts the federal character, but also ignores the enormous support and votes his region gave to the APC in the last elections.
He added, “I am not just speaking for myself. You can’t bring a deputy senate president, but you can give us the deputy speaker role. You cannot neglect us, even though we have given one of the best outcomes in terms of voting and support to the government.”
