Members-elect from opposition political parties numbering about 180 have formed a coalition to elect the next speaker and the deputy speaker of the House of Representatives in the 10th National Assembly.
The members-elect specifically assured Nigerians that the coalition would end the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) eight years of alleged misrule.
The parties include the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
In a communique issued after their meeting held on Tuesday, the minority caucus vowed to contest the offices of presiding officers in the House because it has the ‘greater majority’ of over 180 members.
The communique was signed by the conveners of the meeting including Fred Agbedi (PDP), Abdulmumin Jibrin (NNPP), Gaza Gbefwi (SDP), Dennis Agbo (LP), Idris Salman (ADC), Agbodike Pascal (APGA), Chinwe Nnabuife (YPP), amongst others.
They resolved “To contest the office of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the 10th House of Representative of the National Assembly.
“Produce credible and acceptable candidate that would vie for those offices, and then actively seek the unification of Nigerians along ethno-religious lines.
“The Greater Majority with more than 180 elected members (being over 50 per cent of the elected member) will remain one indivisible coalition during the 10th National Assembly, with the interest of the country as its driving force.
“That the greater Majority of the 10th National Assembly will be continually guided by the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, with the collective interest of Nigerians being its major concern.
“To assure Nigerians not to lose hope due to the country’s current unpleasant situation, including the disunity plaguing the nation, which is the direct consequence of APC’s misrule and that the Greater majority of the incoming 10th National assembly will remedy these problems as a matter of priority.
“The Great majority will continue to unify the coalition of opposition parties so that it can be an effective check on the ruling party in order to safeguard the rule of law.”
LEADERSHIP report that in the just-concluded 2023 elections, the ruling APC secured over 170 of the 360 seats in the green chamber, the highest by any party.
The PDP came second with over 100 seats, LP with over 35 seats, the NNPP with about 20 Representatives.
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