10th NASS: Don’t parade yourself as elected speaker yet, APC chairman warns Abass

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National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Abdullahi Adamu, has warned the party’s anointed speakership aspirants of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abass, to stop parading himself as elected speaker.

He issued the warning yesterday while leading a team of over 50 members-elect from various parties on a thank-you visit to the National Working Committee (NWC) at the national secretariat in Abuja.

The ruling party objected to several members-elect referring to Abbas as speaker, claiming that the statutes governing the office of speaker were clear and that he could only obtain it on the day of declaration by the president and commander-in-chief.

“I want to make one correction so that we will not be misrepresented. A quite number of you have referred to Abbas at the speaker. Please, pleas, he is one of the aspirants. He will become a speaker on the day of proclamation. The laws guiding that office are very clear, he will earn that on the day of proclamation.

“The Clerk to the National Assembly will conduct election. There is no option than the election. When he comes out of that election and they raise his hand, and when he is sworn in as speaker, that nomenclature (Speaker) becomes most appropriate. Continue doing your good work,” he said.

Earlier, Abbas had commended the NWC for endorsing them and assured they would do everything humanly possible to protect the interest of the party, interest of the government and of the Nigerian populace.

He pleaded with the party’s leadership to convene a meeting of the aspirants to deliberate on how to front the candidates to ensure victory for the party.