Shettima to meet aggrieved speakership aspirants for truce

Kashim Shettima, the Vice President-elect, has promised to meet other aspirants in race for the 10th House of Representative Speakership in a bid to seek for truce.

Shettima made the promised when the Joint Task 10th Assembly members-elect met with him in his Abuja residence.

The meeting was held as over 60 members-elect signed for Rep Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu as the consensus candidates for the Speaker and Deputy Speaker ahead of June 5 inauguration.

Shettima said that Rep. Aliyu Betara, one of the leading aspirants, is his brother and they are both from the same state and region, adding that he has the best of relationship with him.

“I met him two nights ago and at the end of the day, there will be no winner and no vanquished and I have also met Rep. Ahmed Wase and we will continue the engagement,” Shettima said.

The Vice President-elect also said that he would ensure members-elect had a rancour-free National Assembly election in the choice of who becomes the Speaker of the 10th House of Reps.

According to him, “Rep. Miriam Onuhoa is my friend and I will reach out to her; my only request to the incoming leadership is to be just and inclusive.”

Shettima said what the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was trying to ensure was fairness in the distribution of the four positions in the country.

He said that was why the President-elect, Tinubu, was more inclined towards having the number three citizen from either South-South or South East of the country.

He added that the stability of the country was more important than other considerations, saying, “we are talking of stability, inclusivity and togetherness of the country.”

According to him, nation building remained a work in progress and politics was about perception, adding that his assignment was to reach out to all interests in the race.

Read also: Speakership: Wase echos Tinubu’s pre-election ‘it is my turn’

“I have started and I will continue in that engagement. I have respect for the House of Reps, they have a long memory. We will embrace them and ensure harmonious relationship,” he said.

He urged the consensus candidates to ensure fairness in the distribution of committees, urging them to distribute it across political divides.

Also speaking, Abbas expressed appreciation to the APC, the President-elect and Vice President-elect for considering him worthy to be chosen as consensus candidate.

According to him, “I assure you, we will not disappoint you, we will ensure there is synergy and cooperation between the executive and legislature, so Nigeria can win all the time.”

He added that there was no time in the history of Nigeria where former lawmakers were elected as President and Vice President like the case of Tinubu and Shettima, who were both senators at different times.

On his part, Rep. Benjamin Kalu said though the South East did not vote for the APC, the party still deemed it fit to give the zone the position of Deputy Speaker.

“My south eastern region did not do well in this election, but you and the party are magnanimous enough and you decided to show that cohesion is necessary irrespective of our votes.”

He said that the over 40 members-elect from the South East would follow the decision of the APC irrespective of party affiliations.

“We will give the right support when needed, we will do more than you witnessed in the 9th assembly. However, the doctrine of separation of power will not be overlooked,” he said.

Over 60 members-elect in attendance cut across party divides as they queue behind the candidacy of Abbas and Kalu.

Meanwhile, the aggrieved aspirants have formed a coalition known as G-7 which include: Ahmed Wase, Aliyu Betara, Yusuf Gagdi, Sada Soli, Alhassan Ado-Doguwa, Sani Jaji and Miriam Onuhoa.