The Deputy Speaker of the defunct 9th House of Representatives, Ahmed Idris Wase (APC, Plateau) has maintained his stance to remain in the race for the Speaker of the incoming 10th House of Representatives.
Wase stated this after the House Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa (APC, Kano) pleaded with other aspirants to step down for the All Progressives Congress (APC) consensus candidate, Tajuddeen Abbas.
Doguwa who was making a remark stated that “as one of the contestants for the Speakership seat who stepped down, I’m calling on others still in the race to reason and step down for the APC consensus candidate, Tajuddeen Abbas to ensure a smooth transition.”
“It is in this light that, I want to urge members like me who are still in the ring contesting to please see the light of reasoning to also step down in the interest of a seamless transition from the leadership here to the next Assembly.
“I am doing this because I was part of the members who first of all started contesting for the Speakership position. Mr Speaker, I am by all standards qualified to be the Speaker.
“But, I want to believe that, Speakership is always an act of God, it is given by God by the will of the members of the House of Representatives. We cannot have two Speakers at the same time”, Doguwa said.
However, Wase who spoke immediately after Doguwa said, as a Democrat who believes in the contest, he was determined to continue with the race until the end.
He added that his contest is in the pursuit of a prophecy by the former governor of old Plateau State, late Solomon Lar who predicted his coming to the House of Representatives and becoming the Deputy Speaker and the possibility of his Speakership.
“Of course, I want to appreciate my political leaders, among whom I would say is Solomon Lar, who, when I was contesting in 2007, I went to him and he prophesied the number of times I will come to this Assembly and I will tell this crowd and to the world, that he said, I will come to the Assembly in the number of times and prophesied even the number of leadership that I will attain and the Deputy Speakership and he prophesied next when I return, and I believe I will be Speaker and I believe I, In sha Allah, I will be the Speaker of the Green Chambers,” Wase insisted.
