By Baba Mohammed
As lobbying, permutations and horse trading continue over the leadership of the 9th National Assembly to be inaugurated on June 9, 2019, a group from the North Central geopolitical zone has called on the Presidency and leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives to the North Central.
The Director General, Wase Equity Project 2019 WEP 2019), and member representing Gboko/Tarka Federal Constituency Benue State, Honorable John Dyegh, stated this in Abuja during an interactive session with the media over the weekend. The WEP 2019 is promoting the aspiration of a fourth-term member of the House, Hon Ahmed Idris Wase representing Wase Federal Constituency of Plateau State.
According to Dyegh, while Honorable Idris Wase deserves to occupy the exalted position of the Speaker based on his legislative experience, robust debate in the House and as the deputy leader in the outgoing House, the North Central must be compensated for delivering the third largest votes to the second term election of President Muhammadu Buhari during the February 23 Presidential Election behind the North West and the North East in that order.
He said, “Let us look at it, against all odds and despite stiff opposition against the APC in the North Central zone, we were able to deliver five out six states in our zone. We delivered Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Plateau and Niger the exception of Benue State where also had an appreciable impact. We believe that in the spirit of fairness, justice, equity and federal character, the position of the Speaker should be zoned to the North Central. We are not just saying this but we believe that the Presidency and the leadership of our party will know that we have a genuine case. Because if you look at it critically, the North West has Mr President, the South West has the vice President; the Senate President has been zoned to the North East. We think that if the South West that contributed the fourth largest votes already has the vice President, we believe the North Central deserves the position of the Speaker and Hon Ahmed Idris Wase rightly fits in going by his antecedents in the House and his wide acceptance by all.”
Hon Dyegh added that there is the need for the leadership of the National Assembly that will not only work in harmony with the executive but a leader that possesses the temerity of purpose and the capacity to work closely with Mr President for the deserved democratic dividends for all.”
“We (House members) want to choose among ourselves a leader like Hon Idris Wase who has the experience, maturity and the capacity to lead the House in the 9th Assembly. We however want the Presidency and the leadership of our great party to look into our case in the spirit of federal character”, Dyegh added.
*Photo: Hon. Wase