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The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has appealed to members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) who are aggrieved over the zoning and endorsements of candidates for the National Assembly leadership to sheath their swords in the overall interest of the country.
The Governor said this while rallying support for the incoming president, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, ahead of his swearing-in ceremony billed for May 29, 2023.
The ruling APC, with the endorsement of Tinubu, had announced the zoning and endorsement of candidates for the Senate and Deputy Senate presidency as well as the Speakership and Deputy Speakership positions.
The party in a statement issued in April named Senator Godswill Akpabio from the South-South part of the country as the endorsed choice for the Senate presidency, to be deputised by Senator Barau Jibrin from the North-West.
Likewise, the party endorsed Hon. Tajudeen Abass (North-West) as the preferred Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives while Hon. Ben Kalu (South-East) got the nod for the Deputy Speaker position.
While the Senate arrangement seems to be panning out as planned, the APC has had to deal with protestations from other House of Reps members-elect who had expressed interest in the principal positions.
The aggrieved lawmakers including the current Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Idris Wase, Aliyu Betara, Miriam Onuoha, Yusuf Gagdi, Sada Soli and Sani Jaji, have constituted themselves into a group known as the G6 and vowed to work with opposition lawmakers in order to thwart the party's zoning arrangement.
Wike placates aggrieved APC lawmakers
Meanwhile, while speaking at a public book presentation, ‘Putting People First: The El-Rufai Years’, in Kaduna State on Saturday, May 20, 2023, Wike asked the aggrieved lawmakers to align with the party's position on the matter.
The Governor, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), added that Tinubu's administration will need a united and cooperative national assembly leadership to aid him in delivering his campaign promises to the people.
Wike said. "If you remember, during his campaigns, it's how to unite every Nigerian. Two, how to build competence. It's not going to be running because I'm a member of APC or you're not a member of APC. We want Nigerians who have the capacity to help him to deliver what will make Nigeria to be great.
"So, with that standing, I have the belief that he means well for this country. I don't want to be carried away because there is a lot of work to be done. Putting the best the team is the first thing for him. Nobody can do it alone, nobody has the whole knowledge. But the capacity to put the best team will determine that the country is ready to add to what the present administration has done. So I have that belief that he's really ready for the job.
"No president can do very well if he doesn't have that leadership that will cooperate with him. You remember what happened in 2015, that affected the performance of the present administration. So, I think that the APC should see it for the interest of Nigeria, let them respect the leadership of their party and the president to move the country forward."