Two front-runners for the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives, Hon. Idris Wase and Muktar Aliyu Betara, have vowed not to step down for the All Progressives Congress (APC) anointed candidate for the position, Tajudeen Abbas.
Naija News reports that the APC National Working Committee (NWC) had backed Abbas from Kaduna in the North-West and Benjamin Kalu from Abia State in the South-East for the position of Speaker and Deputy, respectively.
But investigations indicated that two of the G7 aspirants are not backing down despite the pressure to step down for APC’s preferred candidate.
Vanguard sources said the duo would run to the end of the race no matter the amount of pressure on them to step down.
Recall that Wase had last week, at the official declaration of Aminu Jaji for speaker in Abuja, said that the G7 would not allow one man to put up the leadership of the 10th House.
It was not, however, certain who the “one man” was.
He said: “I want to throw a challenge to our colleagues. Are we going to allow such thing to happen to us? One person to own the institution? One person to own Nigeria? One person to put a leadership for us?
“Consultation is part of democracy. And we need to at every point in time to engage people. I think the arrogance is becoming too much. For the second time, get to a national television and speak the way, if at all he said that.
“I think we have every reason to rise to the occasion to defend democracy. And ensure that we have credible leaders that will lead us. I never thought that anybody who believes in the scripture, whether Christian or Muslim will be that arrogant.
“I want to beg our leader that we do not allow one person to give an impression that there is no democracy in this country. Internationally, world over, leaderships are chosen through consultation.
“I want to believe what is good for the goose is good for the gander. Our party anointed somebody fot presidential candidate, Nigerians said no, it is Asiwaju we want. And eventually he emerged . And I want to believe the shenanigans done by my brother for very special reasons known to him wil not stand the test of time. This group by the Grace of God will produce the speaker.”