Two aspirants for the post of speaker in the 10th National Assembly, Idris Wase and Aminu Sani Jaji, have not stepped down from the race, it was revealed.
This was confirmed by their media aides in separate interviews with 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE on Thursday in Abuja.
Mr Jaji’s media aide, Musa Feta told our reporter that his principal actually attended the meeting convened by President Bola Tinubuwith all the speakership aspirants. Only Mr Wase was absent.
“It is not true that Aminu Sani Jaji shunned the meeting of all aspirants for the speakership position with President Tinubu on Wednesday,” Mr Feta said.
He said Jaji’s aspiration to be speaker is still intact even when his own party – APC has anointed another candidate.
“It is true the APC is trying to find unity, and if you observe the 10th NASS has members from different parties. The APC is trying to field its candidate. Again, it depends on how you are able to forge understanding with other parties.
“If you have been to the National Assembly, you know the speakership is going to be through an election. And it is not as if you have been given a ticket, and even if you have been given a ticket, there has to be a primary election,” he said.
He recalled that in the race to elect APC flag bearer, the party fielded Ahmed Lawan, “but in the end, Bola Tinubu won the ticket and went ahead to be elected president.
“Sani Jaji has no problem with the president, he is only interested in becoming the speaker,” he said.
Reacting to Wase’s absence, his media aide, Umar Puma clarified that it is true his boss was unable to attend the meeting with Tinubu, saying the deputy speaker was not feeling fine.
“Even now that I am speaking to you, he is sleeping due to the illness,” Feat said.
He told the 21st CENTURY CHRONICLE that Wase has not notified him of withdrawing from the race, adding that “if he has withdrawn, he would notify me and would make that public.”Umoru Faruk Salifu
