Some newly elected House of Reps members from the opposition parties have distanced themselves from the purported zoning arrangement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the position of Speaker.

The lawmakers-elect, under the aegis of The Patriotic Forum (TPF), also denied meeting to endorse any aspirant, adding that any attempt to induce, intimidate or coerce them will fail.

The Patriotic Forum made this known in a communique signed by the group spokesperson, Issah Muhammad, on
Monday.

While congratulating all their incoming colleagues from the opposition parties who fought hard to scale through the election on April 15, 2023, the forum said members are looking forward to the newly elect lawmakers joining them in Abuja as they all get ready for their legislative assignment.

The group said for the incoming lawmakers, the topical issue now is the speakership of the 10th Assembly, House of Representatives.

The Patriotic Forum stated that it has exercised a high degree of decorum and discretion not to commit to any of the aspirants as the group waited for the last batch of lawmakers to enter the green chamber to enable them decide collectively.

“It must also be clearly stated that while you were faced with your election, the members of the opposition parties, have faced heavy intimidation in many ways by the slim majority party, but we have not caved in.

“The forum notes the most recent being the propaganda of having 283 members as claimed by one of the returning members from Rivers State, ostensibly to include us the members elect from the opposition parties,” the communique stated.

The group declared that no newly elected member from the opposition parties is included in the 283 members as stated by the lawmaker, Kingsley Chinda as supporting or aligned with the zoning consideration, which is an internal arrangement of the APC and not binding on them.

“The forum feels It is regrettable that anyone will be elected on the platform of an opposition party, and the very first representative duty, that could make or mar the four years tenure, which is that of electing a speaker, will be ceded to one factor of the preference of the party that produced the government at the centre.

“TPF deliberately held back on our choice, so as to have an-inclusive position about and on who will be our speaker at the 10th Assembly House of Representatives as the rules prescribes. In that prescription, there is no place for a factor called zoning that is binding on all newly elected members of the House.

“While the incoming members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) can align and queue behind their ‘zoning factor’, our duty and obligation, that Nigerians expect of us, is to be responsible in our judgment as dependable opposition, which leaves us with no choice than to say that even if we will eventually settle for a member from All Progressive Congress as the speaker, we must profile such a person for capacity, character, national outlook, competence, tolerance and ability to run an inclusive house, not one in the pocket of a few against the majority of Nigerians. It is the leadership of the House of Representatives of the people not a political party chairman.

“The intention of the forum is not to imperil our future as representatives of our people by electing a speaker just to appease the ‘gods of zoning’ in APC. Doing such will be a travesty against our constituents and the Nigerian people, it will be turning us into ‘a herd of cows’ that can be whipped into line and that will mean the 10th Assembly, House of Representatives will be sealed with a fait accompli stamp.

“The forum wishes to state clearly, so as to remind those who have forgotten a part of our nations legislative history that berthed the idea of The House Project at the Seventh Assembly, which is simply to put Nigeria first, followed by the institution and members last, we align with this generic purpose as subscribed to way back in 2011.

“We wish to remind members that at the 7th Assembly, the then Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) under the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, working with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), led by President Muhammadu Buhari and others agreed and supported the then Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to win against the party’s zoning arrangement to have Mulikat Akande as the preferred candidate.

“It is therefore shameful indeed today to begin to moot the idea of a one party Assembly, which is clearly the plan of APC to asphyxiate the opposition parties,” the statement read.

The forum said members are not in the House of Representatives to be antagonists to anyone or party, rather they are there to put Nigeria first, with the consideration for the well being of the people coming first.