10th House: Group asks APC to cede deputy speaker to south-south

A coalition of Civil Society Organisations under the aegis of the Progressive Parliamentary Support Alliance (PPSA) has called on the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to zone the position of the deputy speaker of the 10th House of Representatives to the South-south.

The group, in a statement jointly issued on Thursday by its Chairman, Bala Mohammed and Secretary, Boboye Akinrefon, also urged the party and members-elect to consider Francis Waive, a member representing Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency of Delta State, for the position.

It said the deputy speaker from South-south will provide the needed balance in the event that a Northern Muslim emerges as the Speaker.

“We wish to put on record that we are not opposed to the choice of a Muslim Speaker in the 10th Assembly, but we wish to unequivocally demand religious balancing, especially among the two Principal Officers – Speaker and Deputy Speaker.

“This becomes very germane to the principles of fairness and equity. Recall that Nigerians and the Christian Community took it in good faith when the leadership of APC resorted to the Muslim-Muslim joint ticket in the 9th Assembly.

“And it is very expedient to point out that with the Muslim-Muslim joint ticket which was replicated with the choice of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senator Kasim Shettima, the parliament should reflect religious balancing.

“From a series of assessments carried out on all the three geo-political zones – South South, South West and South East, we can attest to the character and personality of Honourable Reverend Francis Waive as the man fit for the job,” the group said.

PREMIUM TIMES had reported that APC governors under the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF) proposed a zoning formula that involves zoning of the deputy speaker to any of South-east or South-south.

Mr Waive and Chinedu Ogah (APC, Ebonyi) are the two lawmakers that have signified interest in the position.