Lawmaker urges APC to concede Reps speaker slot to Southeast

Rep. Chike Okafor (APC-Imo) has urged the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to concede the Speaker slot to the Southeast.

Okafor made the call while briefing newsmen on Monday in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the APC leadership recently adopted Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila as its candidate for the office of the Speaker in the 9th Assembly on the basis of his competence and legislative experience.

Okafor, a member of the party, also contesting for the position said: “the party should be able to sacrifice merit and competence to be able to accommodate social justice, fairness, to embrace unity.”

The second term lawmaker also said that the party would also find competence and merit in other people who were also aspiring.

He urged the APC to concede the position of the Speaker to the Southeast for the zone to have a sense of belonging.

“What are we going to say to the South-east? I want to see APC extend some genuine goodwill to the zone and give us the position of Speaker.

“I think the party can consciously help us in the South-east to sustain the improvement recorded between 2015 and 2019.

“The least the APC will score in 2023 if some conscious attempts and efforts are made to show some concern and encouragement to those of us who are supporting APC in the Southeast is a minimum of two states out of five in the Southeast.

“The time to set the ball rolling and get the states set for that is now.

“And the only chance and opportunity I see is for the party to close its eyes and say the southeast should take the position of Speaker of the House of representatives,” Okafor said.

Okafor therefore, maintained that with his training and years of experience, he was competent for the position of a speaker.

“Legislative experience is very important, but good training, vast exposure to the entire workings of the economy, through years of playing in the organised private sector, and public sector, from the state level for three and half years.

“And now four years as a federal legislator will give me an edge over other contestants to the office of Speaker.

“By my training and exposure, I have a better grasp of the economy than the others. I will be able to help steer the 9th Assembly, House of Representatives.

“This will be in line with current economic realities and in the process, I will lead the Assembly in making laws and motions that will match up to current realities on ground.

“It will further reinforce and fast track Nigeria’s economic recovery and growth plan.

“I will be running to win and not for fun. And it might interest you to know that my acceptability cuts across board right from my state to the chambers,” he said.