10th NASS: Wike backs Abbas, Kalu for speaker, deputy speaker

Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has canvassed support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) preferred choices for the offices of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th Assembly, Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu.

The governor said the emergence of Abbas and Kalu as speaker and deputy speaker respectively would guarantee a rancour-free relationship between the House of Representatives and the executive.

Wike made the remark when the Chairman of the Joint Task Force-10th Assembly Committee, a multi partisan forum led by Usman Bello Kumo visited him at his country home in Rumuepirikom yesterday to solicit support for Abbas and Kalu.

The governor reckoned that since Abbas and Kalu are the preferred choices of the ruling APC and the president-elect, supporting their emergence as speaker and deputy speaker would save the country the unnecessary stress of power conflict between the executive and the legislative branches of government.

“You saw what happened in 2015, when those who emerged as the leaders of the National Assembly were not working in tandem with Mr. President.  That caused a lot of crises. Nigerians are suffering.

“For the interest of Nigeria, let’s allow the people that the leadership of the ruling party and the President-elect have chosen, so that there will be no excuses that you gave us people who don’t want to support our policies,” he said.

The governor insisted that for any president to succeed in office, he must have a cordial working relationship with the National Assembly. According to him, in the absence of mutual relationship between the two arms of government, the masses are bound to suffer the consequences.

Wike assured the Joint Task Force-10th Assembly Committee that he would galvanise support for Abbas and Kalu.
“Just go home and sleep. I’m not the kind that will support you at the back. I will be in the forefront; by the time I leave office on Monday we will start the work fully.”

He, however, urged the 10th Assembly to consider as a matter of national urgency, a review of the country’s Procurement Law, which he blamed for the numerous abandoned Federal Government projects across the country.

Speaking earlier, Abbas told the governor that they were in Rivers State to solicit his support ahead of the election of the leadership of the 10th National Assembly on June 13, 2023.

“Our vision is to have one Nigeria, a united Nigeria, and we felt that our party alone cannot do it if we want to succeed. That is why we have preached to all the parties, to convince them to come so that we can have a coalition government.

“I want to assure you, the 10th Assembly under our leadership will further unite Nigeria, further bring dividends of democracy to Nigeria. And we hope the people of Rivers through their representatives will record more improvement in legislation, more improvement in democratic dividends,” said.

Similarly, Kalu assured Wike that if they emerge as leaders of the 10th Assembly, they would strive for a rancour-free relationship between the National Assembly and the executive.