Rivers will support consensus candidate for House of Reps Speaker — Wike

Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt

Rivers State Governor,  Nyesom Wike has affirmed that the 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 however, insisted that those to be nominated as principal officers of the 10th  House of Representatives must be individuals with requisite experience to pilot the affairs of the legislature.

Governor Wike made the assertion when the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris Wase, led a delegation of other lawmakers on a courtesy call to the Government House, Port Harcourt on Monday.

He  explained that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), won 11 out of the 13 Federal Constituencies in the State and lawmakers-elect will 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,” he said.

The Governor, however, insisted that only those with requisite experience and have the capacity to stabilise the country should be presented as principal officers of the 10th House of Representatives.

“You are an experienced person. What we require now is experience as far as legislature is concern. Experience will stabilise the house. So, you don’t require a green horn,” he said.

Governor Wike, reiterated that he remains grateful to the APC Governors and other leaders of the party for zoning the party’s presidential ticket to the South.

According to him, by this decision, the APC leaders have demonstrated their firm belief in 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, it goes to another area and that will be inclusiveness, it will bring unity. That is what will stabilise this country,” he said.

The Rivers State Governor maintained that the decision of the APC to zone the presidency to the South is in sync with the fundamental objectives of the PDP G-5 governors for equity, fairness and justice.

Governor Wike congratulated Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris 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, Rt. Hon. Ahmed Idris 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.

He said, “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 for your support, to seek for 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 power shift to the South.

According to him, by this, the Governor has distinguished himself as a man of character and firm believer in the unity of the country.

He said, “Your excellency we are here in your very comfort zone as a leader, as 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 House of Representatives, who have chaired this committee for eight good years, I also understand the sentiment and emotions when it comes to distribution of infrastructure development and power equation in the country.”

On his part, the lawmaker representing Emure/Gboyin/Ekiti-East Federal Constituency, Hon. Femi Bamisile, commended the G-5 governors, whose insistence on power shift made it possible for a southerner to emerge as the President-elect in the February presidential election.