CSO Faults Claim Of Opposition Members-elect Backing Abbas, Kalu

The Citizens Centre for Democracy Awareness (CCDA) has dismissed claims that 63 opposition members-elect have endorsed Tajudeen Abbas and Benjamin Kalu for Speaker and Deputy of the 10th National Assembly.

In a statement signed by its executive director, Dr. Emmanuel Ani, the Centre  said Ikenga Ugochinyere, the member-elect for Ideato South and North federal constituency of Imo State, who made the claim was wrong.

Ani, who stated that lawmaker-elect  was being mischievous, said “Ugochinyere’s claim of the endorsement of Mr. Tajudeen Abass for the Speakership of the House of Representatives by a so-called 62 members-elect under his control is a sad development knowing fully well that Ugochinyere has no other person in his phantom ‘group’.

He urged members-elect of the opposition political parties to distance themselves from Ugochinyere’s  claims.

“We sound this alarm because of the extreme measures that Ugochinyere has been known to adopt in pursuing any agenda he sets his mind on.

The Centre warned Ugochinyere to stop using the name of the opposition to broker deals in the country.

Earlier, the convener of the groups,  Hussaini Bappah, said their visit to the party was to express dissatisfaction over the appointment of federal appointees “who are not real party men and to ask the state leadership of the party to address the matter.”

He opined that hard work should be repaid with opportunities adding that the state governor Inuwa Yahaya should be given the opportunity to determine those who represent the state in the federal government.

“We are here to register our grievances over some issues we understand. Enough is enough. There are some people sitting somewhere sabotaging the effort and the image of the good, caring governor and leader of Gombe State. We are here to say enough is enough, let our APC leadership be respected. Let everybody that wants everything in Gombe state follow due process.

“Since 2015, this has been happening in Gombe state, the person that has been appointed as a minister did not work for it in 2019. Is not someone that worked for the government and he did not even show his support and did not even bring  one broom. So for now, we are calling all the stake holders and the principals concerned that we are not going to condone this again.”