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From Tony John, Port Harcourt
Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike has affirmed that Rivers State will support any candidate unanimously presented by the national leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the position of the Speaker of the 10th House of Representatives.
The governor has insisted that those to be nominated as principal officers of the 10th House of Representatives must be individuals with the requisite experience to sheer the affairs of the legislature.
Governor Wike made the assertion when the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Ahmed Wase, led a delegation of other lawmakers on a courtesy call to the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.
He explained the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won 11 out of the 13 federal constituencies in the State, and lawmakers-elect would back whoever the national leadership of the ruling APC presents as their sole candidate for the exalted office of the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
“The way we are now, the truth must be told that we are going to support the leadership of your party at the national level. I am not going to support anybody that is coming from anywhere.”
The governor insisted that only those with the requisite experience and the capacity to stabilise the country should be presented as principal officers of the 10th House of Representatives.
“You (Wase) are an experienced person. What we require now is experience as far as legislation is concerned. Experience will stabilise the House. So you don’t require a greenhorn.”
Governor Wike reiterated that he remains grateful to the APC governors and other party leaders for zoning the party’s presidential ticket to the South.
According to him, the APC leaders had demonstrated their firm belief in the inclusivity of every section of Nigeria in the scheme of things.
“I thank your party for coming out openly to say power has to rotate. Everybody now knows that whoever finishes for eight years, goes to another area and that will be inclusiveness, it will bring unity. That is what will stabilise this country.”
The Rivers State governor maintained that the decision of the APC to zone the presidency to the South was in sync with the fundamental objectives of the PDP G-5 governors for equity, fairness and justice.
Governor Wike congratulated Wase for winning the Wase federal constituency of Plateau State in the February 25, 2023, National Assembly election.
The Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Wase, told governor Wike that he was in Port Harcourt with his delegation that cut across various political parties, to solicit his support ahead of the election of the Speaker of the 10th House.
“Your excellency, we just finished the national and presidential election, we are about to go into the National Assembly politics and that is why we are here to seek your support, to seek your prayers and blessing, by the grace of God so that we can have a unified country, stabilised system.”
Wase commended Governor Wike for his stance on the power shift to the South. According to him, by this, the governor has distinguished himself as a man of character and a firm believer in the country’s unity.
“Your excellency we are here in your very comfort zone as a leader, as a mentor and as a father who has stood very firm in accordance with the provisions of our constitution to see that power is adequately shared. Rotation is captured under section 14(4) and that is all that you have been doing.
“And as former chairman of federal character in the House of Representatives, who has chaired this committee for eight good years, I also understand the sentiment and emotions when it comes to the distribution of infrastructure development and power equation in the country.”
On his part, the lawmaker representing Emure/Gboyin/Ekiti-East Federal Constituency, Femi Bamisile, commended the G-5 governors, whose insistence on power shift made it possible for a southern to emerge as the president-elect in the February presidential election.
