The support base of Hon. Tajudeen Abbas and Hon. Benjamin Kalu, Speakership and Deputy Speakership candidates of the 10th National Assembly, has been swelled with the endorsements and support of 106 out of 141 Members-elect from North-West and North-Central geopolitical zones of the country, who declared their support for the two annointed candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
While 72 out of 92 lawmakers-elect from the North-West zone endorsed Abbas and Kalu and 32 out of 51 North-Central Members-elect followed suit.
The meeting, which held separately in Abuja on Tuesday night by the North-West lawmakers-elect and North-Central Members-elect on Wednesday, involved all the States on a zonal basis.
The South-South and North-East zones will hold theirs this Wednesday while South-East and South-West zonal meetings will be held on Thursday.
Briefing journalists on the progress so far, the Communication Adviser to the Tajudeen-Ben Kalu Group (TBK) and lawmaker-elect for Ideato North/South federal constituency of Imo State, Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu, described the success recorded so far as a victory for the going quest to build a stable, strong, united, harmonious and all-inclusive Parliament that will deliver on life-changing people’s legislation that will help to deliver on the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present administration.
According to him, the massive support from all zones and ethnic and religious divides was clear evidence of members’ commitment to seeing Nigeria move forward and an indication of a significant buy-in into the Abbas and Kalu message of unity and competence rooted in inclusiveness and teamwork.
Hon. Ikenga described Abbas and Kalu’s legislative competence and capacity, plus their unrelenting reach out and door-to-door engagement with members-elect, as one of the reasons for the across-board acceptance.
Ikenga said the commitment of the Abbas/Kalu to a peoples’ 10th National Assembly leadership was not in doubt, as shown by the readiness of Abbas/Kalu to carry every member along in the quest to deliver on the agenda for a peoples parliament that will help in realising the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He said Abbas and Kalu’s team spirit and unity are the first of their kind in the leadership race, with a Speaker and Deputy Speaker running together with a clear agenda for the members and the country.
Ugochinyere, therefore, urged other aspirants to jettison their ambitions, and support the duo towards delivering a people’s oriented 10th National Assembly.
He expressed optimism that Abbas and Kalu’s commitment with help deliver the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Tinubu and also ensure a working and independent parliament endeared them to the lawmakers elect who agree that the 10th nass needs a competent leadership with team spirit, unity, and inclusivity which, Abbas and Kalu represent.
He said, “After Abbas and Kalu presented their roadmap to the lawmakers-elect from the two regions, they rose in their different zonal engagement with them and resolved to vote for the duo in a landslide. They praised the legislative competence of Abbas and Kalu, which saw them moving over 100 bills that have over 23 already signed into law, and said the 10th Nass couldn’t miss such men with an iroko style legislative capacity rooted in teamwork, inclusiveness, and humility.
“They appreciated Abbas and Kalu’s unrelenting engagement with lawmakers with opposing views that they reached out, and extending hands of fellowship is something worthy of commendation. Odds are in their favour in winning the election come June 13th with the gale of endorsements flying in from all corners. Currently 106 out of 141 lawmakers-elect from Northwest and North Central (72 out of 92 lawmakers elect from the North West zone and 32 out of 51 North Central lawmakers) have declared their support at the ongoing zonal caucuses meeting by Abass and Kalu. In the coming days, we are optimistic that more members-elect will declare their support for the duo,” he stated.
