The Joint Task – 10th Assembly, and managers of the Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu campaign organization for the Speaker and Deputy Speakership positions of the incoming House of Representatives has told the National Working Committee (NWC) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), that over 250 members-elect are currently working with the group ahead of the June 13 inauguration.
The chairman of the coalition which comprised of 8 political parties that won seats in the incoming Assembly, Rt. Hon. Usman Bello Kumo, from Gombe, stated this when the Tajudeen Abbas/Benjamin Kalu campaign paid the NWC a courtesy visit in Abuja on Tuesday.
Hon. Kumo who currently chairs the Committee on Police Affairs in the outgoing House, told the party’s leadership that the choice of Hons: Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu was a wise one coming from the party, saying at the last count, over 250 members-elect have signed up to support the ticket.
“These two gentlemen are parliamentarians par excellence. They are qualified to win even without zoning. All the eight political parties are represented here. From the moment the NWC took the decision, we said this is the way to go. This is a parliamentary best practice.
“Ben Kalu is our spokesman of the 9th House. For you to be the image maker, you need to have all the required qualities and temperament to handle the work. You people are talent hunters, and you have hunted well.
“On Rt. Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, from 1999 to date, there is no parliamentarian in Nigeria who was privileged to sponsor 74 Bills. What we want to do now is to promote synergy between the Executive and the Legislature. Out of the 74 Bills, 21 were signed into law.
“All of us here are more than willing, the ones you see here, others have left for their constituencies after the induction. We would have brought over 250 members-elect here. We are going to ensure that we implement your zoning undiluted 100%,” he said.
Kumo recalled the differences in achievements between the previous Assemblies and the outgoing one which collaborated with the executive to deliver unprecedented dividends of democracy.
“Our zonal interventions and constituency projects are implemented 100% under the 9th Assembly because of the good relationship between the Executive and the Legislature,” he added.
The Party’s Speakership candidate, Hon. Abbas who said the visit was essentially to thank the party’s leadership for finding them worthy of the nominations, stated that having decided a direction, the party should go a step further to convince members-elect on its platform to support the decision it has taken, with a view to getting their support for the ticket on June 13th.
“I want to urge you to do something in your resume, which is to deliver the leadership of the 10th National Assembly. You have done everything, including delivering the party during the last election. This is the only task left for you to achieve.
“You have done one leg. The next thing is to call on all those that will vote to come and vote for your candidates. We urge you to call all our co-contestants. We are more than willing to work together on mutual basis to move the country forward.
Hon. Benjamin Kalu who’s the party’s choice of deputy speaker thanked the NWC for finding him and his incoming principal worthy of their nominations, saying that the team will not disappoint, just as it would be ensure stability and success of the incoming administration.
In his reaction, senator Abdullahi Adamu, and National chairman of the APC urged the team to intensify their consultation, adding that success can only be assured when the ticket is delivered.
”We said it clearly in our statement that there is need for further consultations so that we go to the labour room well prepared. We should calm nerves and massage political egos.
“I, on behalf of my colleagues, without exception, wish you the best of luck,” Adamu said.
