Deputy Speaker: LP Member Backs Female Candidate

As the National Assembly’s 13 June, 2023 inauguration approaches, Labour Party (LP) member-elect representing AMAC, Bwari in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Obika Chinedu, has expressed his support for Hon. Princess Miriam Onuoha, the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Disabilities and Special Needs, as the deputy speaker of the 10th Assembly.

According to Chinedu, having Onuoha as the deputy speaker is like using a stone to kill three birds, adding that she is competent, detribalised and has the capacity to fill the role.

He said he doesn’t believe in using tribal or gender inclusion as a yardstick for selecting someone who may underperform their duties.

Chinedu also acknowledged the significant contribution of women in Nigeria’s development, noting that women vote more than men in the country.

Speaking with newsmen in Abuja yesterday Chinedu said the APC has zoned the deputy speakership to the South East region, where Onuoha hails from which further qualifies her for the position.

Pointing out that the minority parties, including the PDP, YPP, NNPP, ADC, and SDP have more numbers than the APC in the House of Representatives, Chinedu said the minorities should have a say in the selection process

He suggested that it is not right for non-members to decide the fate of  representative members. Although he doesn’t have any personal issues with Tajudeen Abbas, and other candidates, he opposed the idea of micro-zoning the position without allowing members to vote for their preferred candidate.

Chinedu stressed that his position reflects his own perspective, and he clarifies that the Labour Party has not officially endorsed any particular candidate at the moment.

He acknowledged Onuoha’s competence and highlights her previous role as the chairman of a committee on disability in the ninth assembly, indicating her qualifications for the Deputy Speakership.

Finally, Chinedu called on his fellow members and colleagues to consider healing of past wounds through the kind of politics they will practice in the 10th Assembly. He mentioned that President Bola Tinubu’s appointment of Sen George Akume as the secretary general of the federation, stating that it has already contributed to the healing process.

In conclusion, Chinedu reiterated his belief in Miriam Onuoha’s competence and qualifications for the role of deputy speaker.

In the outgoing 9th House, Onuoha sponsored many impactful motions and  bills, one of which was the establishment of Federal College of Nursing, Midwifery, and Health Sciences, Isiala Mbano LGA, Federal College of Horticulture, Okigwe, Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Okigwe.