The All Progressives Congress candidate for the position of speaker for the 10th House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas is hopeful that he will become the next speaker with Benjamin Kalu as his deputy on June 13.
On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu met with both representatives behind closed doors at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The meeting comes before the inauguration of the 10th leadership of the National Assembly, which is scheduled to take place on June 13, 2023.
Abbas explained that they visited the Presidential Villa to congratulate Tinubu on his election victory and inauguration on May 29. He also denied the notion that the 10th assembly would be a rubber stamp, insisting that the 360 members could not be manipulated to act against the national interest. He further stated that the autonomy of the legislature would not be compromised under their leadership.
He said, “My name is Hon. Tajjudeen Abbas from the National Assembly. And with me is my colleague, who, by the grace of God, come June 13, 2023, would be the next speaker insha Allah and Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Reps of the National Assembly.
“You may recall that just two or three days ago, Mr. President, the reign of power was handed over to him on May 29. And since then, we did not have any formal interactions.
”We felt that it is expedient as the candidates of the party for the number four and number six positions, there is a need for us to formally congratulate him on behalf of all members-elect of the 10th assembly.
“But that’s just the reason why we’re here to basically congratulate Mr. President over his election and his inauguration as the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”
When asked if they discussed their aspirations to lead the House with the President, he said that they did not talk about their opponents who are also vying for the positions of Speakers and Deputy Speakers.
They only discussed current affairs, particularly the economic and social challenges that the country is facing, and what the President intends to do in the coming days, beginning with the issue of fuel subsidy. The topic of other candidates did not come up during their conversation with the President.
On speculation in some quarters that they were anointed so that they will remain rubber stamp to the executive, he said: “First of all, I would want them to go back to history.
”Let them tell us even in the few instances where the people who were ordinarily not endorsed by the government of those days have done better than the leadership of the ninth assembly, which we all believe was about the first time in 12 years that the thinking of the members of the National Assembly coincided with the thinking of the executive.
“The ninth assembly is by far and I say it with all sense of humility, the best national assembly that the legislature and the executive had a very mutually beneficial relationship.
”So many things were accomplished. So many things that ordinarily we would not have thought or contemplated would be achieved were achieved.
“So whoever is talking about rubber-stamp National Assembly does not know the workings of the National Assembly.
“Nobody, speaker or senate president, deputy speaker or deputy senate president, nobody can manipulate the 360 members of the House of Reps to make them do what is not in the best interest of the public.”
On his part, Kalu said, “Yes, in addition to what the speakership candidate just highlighted, what we’re bringing on board is parliamentary sovereignty.
”Sovereignty that will ensure that the borders of the mandate of the various arms of government will be respected.
“But also recognising that interdependence is key toward achieving any national objective.
”We’re going to ensure that though we are three arms of government, we understand that we are one government.
”So the national objective of the executive, if it is what the people want, will remain the national objective of the legislature.
“We are bringing on board the impartiality of this man that just spoke to you now holding the gavel that will ensure that sentiments and emotions will not control the direction of the gavel.”
He stated that the policies they will implement will reflect the needs of the Nigerian people. They aim to build institutional trust that will increase the people’s confidence in the legislature as the fulcrum of democracy.
The more trust people have in the institution, the more they can advance democracy, which Tinubu has fought for since the days of NADECO.
