Rivers Governor, Nyesom Wike said he will personally join the campaign train of Tajudeen Abbbas and Benjamin Kalu for Speaker and Deputy Speaker respectively after handing over the affairs of his State on Monday. Wike, who spoke when the APC’s preferred candidates visited him in Port Harcourt, said the 13 members-elect from Rivers State with the exception of one, are with Abbas and Kalu 100 percent.
A statement from the Joint Task team secretariat quoted Wike as assuring that the 2015 scenario where members that went against their party emerged as leaders of the National Assembly would not repeat itself. “I want to say here that I am with you fully. You know I do my things in the open. When Chinda told me that you’re coming here, I said there was no need because I am with you fully. All our members are with you, except one, who is doing something else.
“2015 won’t repeat itself. Let me tell you, I’ll leave office on Monday, and once I leave, we’ll start the campaign fully. I urge all of you to support Abbas. Don’t support him in the day and do something else in the night. You should support him fully,” he said.
Meanwhile, an APC support group, the APC Integrity Group has called on the leadership of the party to revisit the zoning arrangement for the Presiding Officers of the National Assembly and save the party from a possible implosion.
Speaking at a news conference in Abuja, National Coordinator, Malam Dawu Mohammed and Secretary, Chisom Nwakanma, said the party has no justification for ceding the position of Deputy Senate President and Speaker of the House of Representatives to one zone to the detriment of others.
The group also condemned what it described as the recurring and open marginalization of some regions, as it warned that it is an ill wind fraught with dangers. “We can have the offices zoned to give the various parts of the country a better sense of belonging to the country, other than what we have now,” the group suggested.
The Group urged the NWC to consider the positive contributions of the North Central region to the growth, stability and consolidation of the APC across the country, especially at the executive and National Assembly levels.
Stay informed and ahead of the curve! Follow Africa Update Newspaper on WhatsApp for real-time updates, breaking news, and exclusive content. Don't miss a headline – join now!