TheCable

Muktar Betara, a member of the house of representatives, has declared his intention to run for the position of the speaker of the 10th assembly.

Betara announced his speakership bid on Monday night in Abuja.

The declaration was attended by other speakership hopefuls, including Idris Wase, deputy speaker; Alhassan Doguwa, majority leader; Yusuf Gagdi, chairperson of the committee on navy; and Sada Soli, chairperson of the committee on water resources.

Umaro Bago, an outgoing lawmaker and governor-elect of Niger state, was also in attendance.

Speaking at the event, Betara said the lawmakers were present to support him.

“Today is our day for members-elect and former members of the parliament. You are seeing all the aspirants here. They came to support me because we are one family. We are moving as a group. We have been in the system for years. I was a member in the 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th assemblies,” he said.

Betara announced his speakership ambition hours after the All Progressives Congress (APC) nominated Tajudeen Abbas from Kaduna and Ben Kalu from Abia for the positions of speaker and deputy respectively.

‘WE WON’T ALLOW PARLIAMENT TO BE HIJACKED’

Speaking at the declaration, Wase kicked against the party’s nomination, saying they were not consulted before the decision was taken.

He said the parliament must be independent and free from an imposition of any kind.

“We will work as a team. We will not allow this parliament to be hijacked. We will not allow this parliament to be made a lame duck. I believe we are loyal to our country first, loyal to our party and loyal to our people,” he said.

“When you have a consensus candidate, the language for consensus is that there have been mass consultations — people go to the table for discussion. There is agreement. In this case, we just saw and are hearing rumours, and speculations that some people have been made consensus candidates.

“I don’t know whether that is the meaning of consensus. This place  (parliament) is very sacred. We must be honourable in our action in defence of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Similarly, Doguwa said the “business” of electing principal officers is solely that of the lawmakers.

“Parliament is one institution that must always be allowed to choose its leaders,” he said.

“In a situation where you have some people in whatsoever guise trying to decide our leadership to form our leadership from outside without consulting us, I think that should be seen as a mere failure.“