President Bola Tinubu met yesterday with Hon Tajudeen Abbas and Hon Ben Kalu at the state house.
Recall that Abbas and Kalu have received the endorsement of the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, respectively.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, Abbas said they discussed issues facing the country with President Tinubu, including the removal of fuel Subsidy.
The candidate, who represents Kaduna State, denied that the 9th House of Representatives was a rubber stamp, denying that his selection is meant to keep the House compromised.
He argued that the 9th Assembly has been the best in the history of Nigeria’s democracy in terms of cordial relationship with the Executive and what was achieved.
The Speakership candidate, who was backed by his co-sojourner in the bid to lead the 10th House of Representatives, Ben Kalu, assured that nobody can manipulate the 360 members of the House of Representatives.
“First of all, I would want them to go back to history. Let them tell us even in the few instances where the people who were ordinarily not endorsed by the governments of those days have done better than the leadership of the 9th Assembly, which we all believe was about the first time in 12 years that the thinking of the members of the National Assembly coincided with the thinking of the Executive.
“The 9th Assembly is by far, and I say it with all sense of humility, the best National Assembly that the Legislature and the Executive had a very mutually beneficial relationship.
So many things were accomplished, so many things that ordinarily we would not have thought or contemplated would be achieved were achieved. So whoever is talking about the rubber stamp National Assembly does not know the workings of the National Assembly.
“Nobody, Speaker or Senate President, Deputy Speaker or Deputy Senate President, nobody can manipulate the 360 members of the House of Reps to make them do what is not in the best interest of the public and we have shown from our conduct in the 9th Assembly that for the very first time, even with the cordial relationship between the Executive and the Legislature, we had cause, for the very first time, to summon Mr. President, to come to the National Assembly to address some issues of security as at that time.
“So if you’re talking about rubber stamp, I wonder if anyone can summon Mr. President to come and explain issues that ordinarily he would have invited us to continue our office or assign somebody to come and answer our questions.
“So there has never been any compromise in the National Assembly. The autonomy of the National Assembly has always been maintained, and it will continue to be maintained. There will be no any way that the independence of our National Assembly under our leadership will be compromised. Actually this you can take to the market”, he said.
Responding to a question about dissension within the ranks of members of the House that are from the ruling party, over their candidature and the support of the party, Abbas said everything was being done to carry aggrieved members along, assuring that come June 13, all members of the House would speak as one.
“I want to assure you that for those who know me, either in the National Assembly or outside the National Assembly, they will tell you one thing very peculiar to me is that I’m a peacemaker. I’m somebody who relates with everyone, I’m a team player.
“We are reaching out to all the aggrieved candidates, we’re doing everything humanly possible in ensuring that we carry them along and I want to assure you that come June 13, the House will speak as one
“They are very resolute and determined in ensuring that no one single aggrieved voice will come to bear after June 13. We’ll carry everyone along and the House of Representatives will continue to operate as one, with one single voice. That you can take to the market”, he said.
