Wase insisted he should become the next Speaker of the House of Rep, even though APC has zoned the position to the North-west
By Kehinde Okeowo
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Idris Wase, has joined the speakership race despite the decision of his party, the All Progressives Parry (APC) to zone the position to the North-west.
Wase, who hails from Plateau State in the North-central zone of the country, in a defiant move against the ruling party, APC said it was his turn to become the speaker.
Making the announcement on Friday at the Transcorp Hotel in Abuja, the Deputy Speaker used the now popular Yoruba assertion “emi lokan,” a phrase popularised by the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, which means “it is my turn” to signify his intention.
“At this point, I will use the words of my leader, emi lokan, emi lokan, emi lokan”, Wase said.
The lawmaker went on to say his party must follow the Nigerian constitution and ensure his zone which has not produced the Speaker since the return of democracy in 1999 doesn’t get excluded again.
“It must also be noted that it is only the North-central in the entire country that has not produced the Speaker in 24 years after the return of democracy to Nigeria in 1999.
“Fellow Nigerians, Nigeria is built on the supremacy of the law and the sacredness of the constitution for justice to reign and to keep the peace in the country,” he added.
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Prior to this development, the APC after consultations with the President-elect, Tinubu, who will be inaugurated as president on 29 May, zoned the offices of the 10th Assembly.
The party zoned the positions of speaker and deputy senate president to the North-west, while the senate president and deputy speaker were zoned to South-south and South-east respectively.
Godswil Akpabio and Barau Jibrin, emerged as Tinubu’s preferred candidates for senate president and deputy senate president respectively, while Tajudeen Abbas and Ben Kalu became his favourites for the speakership and deputy speakership positions too.
Curiously, in its zoning arrangement, the ruling party excluded the North-central from these political positions.
APC’s decision to zone these positions didn’t go well with some lawmakers, who criticised and opposed the move.
These senators and House of Representative members later expressed their readiness to go against the will of the party and are now poised for a showdown.
Wase is one of the leading APC lawmakers opposed to the party’s zoning arrangement. Others include House Leader, Alhassan Doguwa, Muktar Betara, Sada Soli and Aminu Wali.
The new House of Representatives will be inaugurated in June, about two weeks after the inauguration of the president.