10th NASS: Plateau Elders Insist On Speakership Position

A non-governmental organisation, Plateau Elders Forum (PEF) has called on elected members of the House of Representatives, both old and new, to back Plateau State’s candidates for the position of the speaker in the Green Chamber.

Two frontline candidates vying for the position from the North Central geopolitical zone are the current deputy speaker Hon Ahmed Idris Wase and Hon Yusuf Adamu Gagdi.

Each of the candidates possesses unassailable credentials. As deputy speaker of the 9th Assembly Wase is adjudged to have served diligently using his long legislative experience and also deputised effectively for the speaker of the Lower House, Hon Femi Gbajabiamila.

Also, Gagdi, on account of his legislative capacity has sponsored the highest number of bills by a member in a single first term, with six having been accented into law by the president.

The Plateau Elders in a statement issued by their spokesperson in Jos, Jonathan Ishaku after the forum meeting in the house of the chairman of the Plateau Elders Forum, Ambassador Yahaya Kwande, argued that apart from the resourcefulness of the Plateau State candidates, it is in the interest of fairness and justice that the state be given the opportunity to lead the House.

They contended that while the North West and the North East geopolitical zones have produced the speaker four times and one time, respectively, the North Central has never produced one adding that if the rumours making rounds that the speakership position has been zoned to the North West again, in addition to the Senate President position, are true it would be unfair to the North Central zone which would get nothing.

“In the interest of equity, therefore, we insist on zoning the Speakership to the North Central and particularly to Plateau State,” they declared.

PEF also appealed to the two candidates to unite and allow only one of them to stand, arguing that doing so will brighten the chance of the state to get the position stressing that this will be in the best interest of the state as both of them are high quality candidates who have demonstrated that they both are great legislative assets to the nation.