Abia Labour Party lawmaker backs Abass as HoR Speaker

The lawmaker representing Isuikwuato-Umunneochi Federal Constituency in Abia State, Amobi Ogah, has called on fellow colleagues in the House of Representatives to support the consensus candidate of All Progressives Congress, Tajudeen Abass, as Speaker ahead of the 10th Assembly inauguration.

The Labour Party member-elect, who drummed up support for Abbas while addressing journalists in Abuja, on Tuesday, urged Nigerian politicians to learn to look beyond money politics to choose a competent leader.

His endorsement comes hours after Abbas promised Nigerians that he would not run a rubber-stamp parliament if he emerged Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Abbas, who represents Zaria Federal Constituency of Kaduna State, North-West zone, was announced on Monday as the ‘anointed’ candidate of both the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and the ruling APC, for the position of Speaker in the 10th Assembly.

Although the choice of the Kaduna politician didn’t go down well with some members-elect, Ogah applauded the ruling party for getting it right, saying, Abbas’s emergence would bring unity and inclusiveness to other regions in the country.

He said, “Hon Abass has shown more competence and character which have given him an edge to be a preferred aspirant to others. As a politician he is not doing money politics like others which is part of what my leader, Mr Peter Obi, of the Labour Party preaches. He is just a replica of Obi and that is more reason am supporting him and calling on others of my colleagues to do the same.

“I am assuring you that with Hon Abass as the Speaker and Hon Ben Kalu as the Deputy Speaker, the 10th Assembly will achieve more and will take the country to a greater height.”