May 03, (THEWILL) – Members-elect from opposition political parties numbering about 183, have formed a coalition to elect the next speaker and the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives in the 10th National Assembly.
The caucus had last month formed a coalition known as the “greater majority” to upstage the ruling All Progressive Congress, APC.
The parties that made up the caucus include the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
In a communiqué issued after its meeting held on Tuesday night, the caucus said they have the number to win the offices of the presiding officers.
The communiqué signed by the conveners of the meeting including Fred Agbedi (PDP), Abdulmumin Jibrin (NNPP), Gaza Gbefwi (SDP), Dennis Agbo (LP), Idris Salman (ADC), Agbodike Pascal (APGA), Chinwe Nnabuife (YPP), and its Secretary, Efosa Imasuen, disclosed that an 11 man committee had been set up to hunt for credible candidates for the position of Speaker and others.
The members resolved as follows: “To Contest the office of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representative of the National Assembly.
“To set up an eleven-man Committee to scout for a credible and acceptable candidate that would vie for those offices, and then actively seek the unification of Nigerians along ethno-religious lines.
“The Greater Majority with more than 180 elected members (being over 50 per cent of the elected member) will remain one indivisible coalition during the 10th National Assembly, with the interest of the country as its driving force.
“That the greater Majority of the 10th National Assembly will be continually guided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with the collective interest of Nigerians being its major concern.
“To assure Nigerians not to lose hope due to the country’s current unpleasant situation, including the disunity plaguing the nation, which is the direct consequence of APC’s misrule and that the Greater majority of the incoming 10th National assembly will remedy these problems as a matter of priority.
“The Great majority will continue to unify the coalition of opposition parties so that it can be an effective check on the ruling party in order to safeguard the rule of law.”
THEWILL reports that in the just-concluded 2023 elections, the ruling APC secured 177 of the 360 seats in the green chamber, while opposition parties put together have 183 members.
