Deputy Spokesperson of the House of Representatives, Hon. Philip Agbese, has said that contrary to the insinuations over planned showdown by lawmakers with Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, the presiding officer enjoys members’ maximum support.
Speaking with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, Agbese said Speaker Abbas remained the best in providing quality leadership, attending to welfare of members and constituency development.
The lawmaker representing Ado/Okpokwu/Ogbadibo Federal Constituency of Benue State, denied any planned showdown or existing rifts amongst members and the leadership of the House, saying, to the contrary, the 10th House has so much confidence in Abbas.
He said: “The confidence of members in Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen is not negotiable and unwavering. Since his emergence, Mr Speaker has demonstrated outstanding qualities of leadership, fairness, and deep respect for colleagues across party lines.
“He (Abbas) has continued to carry members along in decision-making in line with the ‘People’s House’ mantra and has shown unmatched commitment to the welfare of members and development of their constituencies.”
Agbese described attempts to drag the speaker into matters outside his statutory purview as “unfortunate”, adding that, “Abbas has remained focused on strengthening the capacity of members to deliver on their mandate to Nigerians. Welfare, constituency support, and effective legislative engagement remain the hallmark of his leadership.”
The Deputy Spokesperson of the House, however, said that as a leader with a listening ear, the Speaker has constituted two special committees to look at the issues being speculated.
Agbese said one of the committees is to be headed by the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Benjamin Kalu, and the other is to be headed by the former Deputy Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Idris Wase.
